NewsWhore
05-06-2008, 05:40 PM
The CNTU transport union has announced a new public transport project, the "Taxi Popular". These 1,000 taxis will run on natural gas and will only transport three passengers at a time. Fares will cost RD$40 per person. Listin Diario reports that 200 of these taxi units are already in the DR. CNTU president Ramon Perez Figuereo says that the project involved a RD$300 million investment, which the union and its drivers acquired through a private bank. Perez says the government is not involved in providing financing for the private owners of the taxi vehicles. Car owners are being given a financial package consisting of a RD$30,000 down-payment and daily repayments of RD$200 over the next five years. Perez said that initially the cars would operate using gasoline until natural gas becomes readily available. At that point the union will sign an agreement with the natural gas distributors. If the new taxi system works, it could be a popular alternative to the oft crowded, dirty and dangerous 'carros publicos'.
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More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)