Three’s a charm? New law aims to get rid of vehicle heaps

Santo Domingo.- For the third time in as manydecades, the Dominican Republic embarks on the titanic task of replacing thevehicle park in public and cargo transport as stipulated in the recently approvedlaw to reorganize the sector.

The effort has precedents in the early 1990swith the creation of the ONATRATE bus system, and later in 2003, with PlanRenove, both initiatives ending in mass corruption and convicted and jailedtransport sector leaders.

The new law sets a 10-year deadline for thenewly created National Transit and Ground Transport Institute (INTRANT) to"gradually withdraw" the heaps called vehicles.

The various types of passenger and cargovehicles in bad condition must be removed from Internal Taxes’ (DGII) National MotorVehicle Registry and "immediately demolished by INTRANT," the new lawstipulates.

The Executive Branch must enforce the law"until reaching the maximum established lifespan," of 15 years forlight vehicles of up to four passengers; 17 years, for minibuses of five to 20passengers; 20 years, for minibuses from 21 to 26 passengers; 25 years, forbuses from 37 passengers onwards; 30 years for heavy vehicles and 10 years formotorcycles.