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View Full Version : AMET: a tax-collection department?



NewsWhore
09-03-2010, 06:00 PM
The Metropolitan Transport Authority says it has collected RD$215 million for the government during Major General Jose Anibal Sanz Jiminian's first five months at the head of the traffic police corps. AMET agents have issued 198,387 tickets for violation of Traffic Law 241. 25,477 tickets were issued to motorcycle drivers for not wearing any or the adequate helmets. Another 17,249 were fined for crossing a red light, 16,414 for not wearing a seat belt, 13,445 for driving without a license, 13,170 for driving with an expired license, 12,950 for talking on a cell phone while driving, 12,197 for driving in the wrong direction, 8,804 for traveling on public transport vehicles without adequate identification, 6,228 for driving without insurance and 5,888 for driving with tinted windows.
Penalties range from RD$900 to RD$1,500, as reported in Diario Libre.
There are 2,400 AMET agents. They work in two shifts: from 5:45am to 2pm, and from 2pm to 10pm.
Today's Diario Libre editorializes on the AMET agents' inability to bring order to the current traffic chaos. "The main problem is that there appears to be no plan," comments the newspaper.
While AMET is doing well collecting fines, traffic chaos in Santo Domingo is at an all-time high. Road improvements, excess of vehicles, violation of traffic laws and lack of maintenance of traffic lights are some of the reasons for the chaos. But drivers are also criticizing the Amet agents' lack of efficiency in reducing the gridlock.

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