Santiago.– The National Confederation of Transport Organizations (CONATRA) categorically rejected this Friday any unilateral increase in the price of fares announced by leaders of some public transport routes, asserting that such decisions lack consensus within the sector and represent a direct blow to the public’s pocketbook.
During a press conference held in Santiago, the executive vice president of CONATRA, Tony Marte, stated that the entity will not support increases in transport fares and questioned the statements of those who claim that dozens of routes will implement increases in the coming days.
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Marte maintained that they were surprised by the announcement that some 47 routes would increase the fare cost, asserting that those promoting this measure do not represent that number of unions nor do they have the majority support of the transport sector.
“We categorically reject any fare increase. For more than ten years we have postponed possible increases because we understand that the Dominican population is not in a position to bear an additional economic burden,” he expressed.
The leader acknowledged that the rise in fuel prices and the increase in operational costs affect transporters, but insisted that passing that impact on to the user is not the solution.
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He explained that CONATRA is in talks with the Government to seek compensation mechanisms that allow for stable fares without harming passengers.
Likewise, he warned that an increase in transport costs would only cause more citizens to choose to use private vehicles, worsening traffic congestion problems in the country’s main cities.
The driver union leader criticized leaders who, he said, promote fare increases while keeping mass transit licenses out of operation, prioritizing private interests over the needs of the citizenry.
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For his part, a CONATRA leader in Santiago described as irresponsible the proposal of increases that would mainly affect the most vulnerable sectors.
“The people cannot be dealt another blow. Poor people are the ones who use public transport daily and they cannot continue to bear more increases,” he stated.
Similarly, the president of the Transport Federation of Espaillat province, Mario Emilio Rodríguez, reported that there are no plans to increase the fare price in Moca and assured that the unions in that area maintain a stance of respect for the decisions reached by consensus within the organization.
Meanwhile, leader Ramón Gómez Ureña maintained that any modification to transport fares must be carried out in accordance with the law and recalled that the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (INTRANT), in accordance with Law 63-17, is the institution empowered to establish the tariff regime for urban, interurban, and taxi services.
Gómez Ureña considered it inappropriate for transport leaders to announce increases unilaterally, understanding that such a decision would only generate uncertainty and directly affect thousands of users.
CONATRA representatives reiterated that, for the moment, the organization does not contemplate increasing the fare price on any of the more than 1,300 routes and unions it groups nationwide, while calling on transporters to act responsibly and prioritize the collective interest over individual aspirations.
