Just three days after its official launch, the director of the Student Transportation System (TRAE), engineer Onésimo González, informed that as of next Monday, October 30, 11 new routes will be incorporated into the system, which will be added to the 80 school corridors already operating in Greater Santo Domingo, Monte Plata, Villa Altagracia and San Cristóbal.
“We are working in an accelerated manner to guarantee that every day TRAE’s coverage will be greater,” said González.
The transportation expert explained that, of these new routes, six will operate in Los Alcarrizos, with 20 buses in operation, which are added to the program to ensure that children and young people have access to safe, free and comfortable transportation.
He detailed that four TRAE corridors will operate in Sabana Perdida, with 12 buses available to transport students, completing TRAE in all of Santo Domingo North, while adding that, to reinforce the service in the 10-04 Educational District in the Santo Domingo East Municipality, a route with 7 buses in operation will be enabled.
TRAE’s Commitment
“In TRAE we are committed to solve, once and for all, the plight of Dominican families, who for lack of money have to send their children to school on foot or have to invest part of their salary in fares,” said Gonzalez, who recalled that the Greater Santo Domingo has 230 units assigned, in 62 school routes and 730 kilometers of route.
Among the sectors currently benefiting from the program are: Villa Mella, Los Guaricanos, Sabana Perdida, La Victoria, La Victoria, Guerra, Mendoza, La Isabelita, Villa Duarte, Los Tres Ojos, Invivienda, El Almirante, Boca Chica, Andres and Brisa de Caucedo.
In addition, La Caleta, El Valiente, El Millón, La Paz, La Yuca, Cristo Rey, Los Ríos, La Feria, Los Kilómetros, Los Girasoles, Los Peralejos, Ciudad Colonial, Villa Francisca, Ensanche Naco, Gascue, Los Praditos, Pedro Brand, and many other sectors also receive the service.
TRAE Expansion Program
The service will be expanded before November 23, with 105 new buses, distributed 48 units to the province of Hato Mayor and 57 additional buses to San Cristobal, of which 13 buses are already providing services in 3 school corridors, in Villa Altagracia.
The program was planned and programmed to operate throughout the national territory, with the design of 582 school corridors comprising some 7,780 kilometers of routes, using 1,600 buses, of which 900 units are expected to be transporting students before December 23.
By that date, it is estimated that 500 additional new buses will be added to provide service in the provinces of Santiago de los Caballeros (165 units), Duarte (45), Puerto Plata (73), La Altagracia (52), La Romana (40), San Pedro de Macorís (36), San Juan de la Maguana (39) and Barahona (50), completing 900 school buses.
Expansion of coverage
In order to guarantee the best coverage, 230 buses were leased to operate in Greater Santo Domingo, of which 149 units are already transporting hundreds of students to and from their schools each day, impacting a population of 535,895 students.
The other 81 remaining buses are in the process of being labeled and having safety installations installed, such as GPS cameras, seat belts and STOP signs, in order to incorporate them into the TRAE service before November 23rd of this year and continue transporting students in a comfortable and safe manner.
The Student Transportation System, as of today (Thursday, October 26) has transported 993,300 students, producing savings in transportation costs for the families of DR 297,990.00, and radiating economic benefits of DR 14.5 million per month, in the municipalities where the program operates, thanks to the direct creation of 850 jobs for drivers, assistants and supervisors, who were evaluated and trained by ENEVIAL.
TRAE will protect and safeguard the lives of children, executing a National Plan for Safe School Environments, to improve access to Educational Centers and install vertical and horizontal, preventive and informative traffic signs, including bus stops and speed bumps or police officers lying down in front of schools.
Source: presidencia.gov.do
