Idea to ease Greater Santo Domingo’s infernal traffic jams gains support

Santo Domingo.- Supporthas spread for the resurging proposal to adjust working hours in the publicsector from 9am to 4pm to reduce Greater Santo Domingo’s infernal traffic jams.

Public Administration minister Ramon Ventura on Monday saidthe initiative in which government workers enter at 7am is being coordinatedwith Presidency chief of staff Gustavo Montalvo.

The official called it a possible solution to ease congestedtraffic in the National District and could even be implemented in other majorcities, such as Santiago.

Promoting the decades-old idea arethe Access to Information for Transparency Council (CODAIT) and TV host HugoBeras, and would also include schools, industry, warehouses and retailers.

He said schools should start 7am and private sector workerat 8am, while trucks should haul freight between 8pm to 7am. "So you takeout all those tractor trailers and trucks which shouldn’t be there with me at 8or 9am, hindering the flow of life in the city."

Beras said traffic flowsshould be staggered to avert the capital city’s current morass, "Everyoneleaves home at the same time, goes to lunch at the same time. Schools, publicand private sector, industry, warehouses and shops open and close at the sametime."