Jump in road tolls irks Dominican Republic motorists

Santo Domingo.- Underthe threat by the military that "pay or return" drivers of buses,trucks and other heavy vehicles have to ´grin and bear´ the Public Works Ministry´shigher tolls.

Some truck drivers quotedby hoy.com.do say the higher number of troops at the plaza is a way to intimidatethem into paying the new tolls.

Reporters who cover LasAmericas Airport Tuesday night saw when a bus driver full of tourists was tellingthe soldiers that he couldn’t pay the increase because he didn’t know about thehigher tolls, but was warned to return.

Public Works´ toll forbuses was 50 pesos and since Monday is double to 100 pesos, while trucks andother heavy vehicles which had paid from 100 to 120, now have to shell out 200and 260 pesos.

Public Works addsthat the toll on pickup trucks and SUVs remains at 30 pesos, noting that the increasecovers all toll stations across the country except the Samaná-Santo Domingoroad and Autopista del Coral highway (east).