INTRANT bans heavy vehicles from left lanes nationwide

Santo Domingo.- The National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (INTRANT) has enacted Administrative Resolution No. 003-2026, which prohibits heavy vehicles and cargo transport from circulating in the left lane on highways and roads across the Dominican Republic. The measure forms part of broader efforts to strengthen road safety and improve traffic mobility.

The resolution, signed by INTRANT Executive Director Milton Morrison, is supported by Law No. 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transport, Transit and Road Safety, the Cargo Transport Regulation approved by Decree No. 258-20, and aligns with the National Strategic Road Safety Plan (PENSV) 2021–2030.

Under the new regulation, heavy and cargo vehicles must use the right lane, except in situations expressly permitted by law, such as authorized overtaking maneuvers or left turns at intersections, and always in compliance with traffic and safety rules.

The resolution also requires that vehicles transporting loose cargo ensure it is properly secured and covered with tarpaulins, awnings, or canvases to prevent spills or material dispersion that could endanger other road users, the environment, or public health.

Vehicles subject to the restriction include those used for passenger and cargo transport, such as minibuses, buses, and two-axle trucks, as well as various forms of cargo transport, including commercial, bulk, heavy, specialized, dangerous, multimodal, or express transport, whether for compensation or not.

Noncompliance will result in a fine equivalent to one minimum wage in the centralized public sector, currently RD$10,000, along with points deducted from the driver’s license, in accordance with Law 63-17. The fine amount will be automatically adjusted if the minimum wage is revised.

Enforcement will be carried out by the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (DIGESETT) and INTRANT’s Directorate of Supervision and Control of Sanctions, with operational support from the Military and Police Commission (COMIPOL). The Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) and the RD Vial Trust will oversee the installation and maintenance of road signage under INTRANT supervision.