Gov. zaps infamous ‘shadow toll,’ motorists sigh relief

Santo Domingo.- At 6pm last Saturday the new rates determined by the government for the four tolls on the Samaná-Santo Domingo highway began to take effect, upon managing the highway system after terminating the concession contract on December 22.

Two categories of heavy vehicles were priced higher at one of the tolls. The rest includes discounts of between 0.5 and 44%, for an overall reduction of more than 20%.

A motorist who completes the circuit of the four tolls in a car or SUV will now pay RD$860 instead of the RD$1,085 that the one-way trip along the road previously totaled, for a reduction of RD$225. The same will pay to return.

After the government terminated the concession contract with the companies Autopistas del Nordeste and Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico -and with it the “infamous” shadow toll subsidy-, the administration of the tolls passed to the RD Vial Trust.