FP rejects increase in toll rates; warns of inflationary impact

Santo Domingo — The Secretariat of Road Safety of the Fuerza del Pueblo party expressed its rejection of the recent announcement by the government of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) on the 67% increase in toll rates on roads and highways in the country, a measure that will come into effect as of January 15, 2025.

In a statement, the organization described the measure as “unpopular and harmful” and warned that it will cause an inflationary impact on public transport and goods, which, in turn, will make family consumption products more expensive.

Fuerza del Pueblo pointed out that this decision seems improvised and motivated by a desire to collect money, justified by the need for road maintenance to save lives, despite the fact that the government itself has declared that it is making substantial investments in infrastructure, without, according to the opposition organization, reflecting an improvement in the quality of the roads.

The statement also denounces an increase in traffic accidents and the evident deterioration of road infrastructure, which has generated growing unease in public opinion, especially due to congestion on the country’s main avenues.

In this sense, they criticized the fact that the Government presents as an achievement the announcement of a plan to pothole 600 holes in Greater Santo Domingo, when, they say, a large part of the road infrastructure was intervened with asphalt prior to the elections, without lasting results.

The Secretariat of Road Safety of Fuerza del Pueblo warned that this measure will have a domino effect on the economy of Dominicans, describing it as an ill-advised and dangerous decision, because “it is playing with the patience of the people.”

Likewise, Fuerza del Pueblo warned that this announcement of an increase could respond to a recurring strategy of the PRM, which consists of announcing drastic measures and then modifying them in the face of popular pressure and presenting itself as a government that listens to the people. However, the real purpose from the beginning would be to apply an adjustment that they had already planned, affecting the majority and favoring privileged sectors through possible subsidies or exemptions.

Finally, the main Dominican opposition party urged the authorities to reevaluate this provision and prioritize solutions that do not affect the pockets of citizens or harm the economic stability of the country.