NewsWhore
04-02-2007, 05:50 PM
Perhaps one of the reasons nobody is feeling much sympathy for the public transport drivers and even less for their leaders is the fact that the unions are making huge amounts of cash from their transport route monopolies, many of which were gained through violence in past years. According to Listin Diario, millions of pesos (the newspaper estimates between three and five million) enter union coffers each and every day. A normal "publico" driver is obliged to pay RD$30 per day to go to work. Buses and minibuses have to pay RD$400 a day to operate. Just getting on the "approved" list of vehicles can cost the owners between RD$5,000 and RD$200,000, depending on which route is chosen. Drivers consulted by the newspaper say that there are never any elections and the president is the same person who was there when the organization was founded. The Office of Land Transportation and Traffic (OTTT) limits the transportation of passengers, and allocates specific routes to the unions who, in turn, subdivide the routes, leading to higher costs for passengers. Another moneymaker for the unions is the closure of vehicle registrations for a specific route. This opens a ready market for drivers who have already registered their vehicles and can generate, according to the newspaper, earnings of 40%-50% over the original costs.
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