SANTO DOMINGO – Dominican transportation systems are approaching a breaking point as motorcycles increasingly dominate high-speed roadways, creating what union leader and attorney Mario Díaz characterizes as an unsustainable public safety emergency. With motorcycle-involved collisions now representing over 70% of all road accidents, authorities face mounting pressure to implement drastic regulatory measures.
The crisis is particularly acute in Greater Santo Domingo and the National District, where motorcycles have effectively transformed elevated highways, tunnels, and underpasses into exclusive corridors—often without adequate safety provisions. Díaz specifically highlighted the dangerous proliferation of motorcycles on major arteries including Duarte Highway, Las Américas Expressway, 6 de Noviembre Highway, and the Malecón waterfront thoroughfare.
Díaz warned that sporadic enforcement operations prove insufficient against this escalating threat. He advocated for comprehensive structural reforms including: permanent bans on motorcycles from expressways; temporary suspension of motorcycle imports; mandatory vehicle inspections; stricter regulations on importing aged vehicles; and a national initiative to remove dilapidated units from circulation.
Emphasizing the need for coordinated governance, Díaz urged collaboration between national authorities, INTRANT (National Institute of Traffic and Land Transport), DIGESETT (Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transport), and municipal governments to implement sustained countermeasures. Without decisive action, he cautioned, the traffic system risks total collapse under the strain of uncontrolled vehicle fleet expansion.