• Driving and the Rules of the Road
• Private Taxi
• Public Transportation

Driving and the Rules of the Road 

Signals
The driving game is played differently everywhere you go, be it Los Angeles, New York City, or Paris. Santo Domingo is no exception. Hand signals for right and left turns and for stopping are exactly the same here as in the United States. Nevertheless, there are a lot of signals unique to this country. There are a few that will be helpful to know if you are going to drive here. You won’t find these in the travel books.

“We want to turn right,” or “We want to move into the right-hand lane. Let us move over.” 

The person in the passenger seat usually makes this signal. He sticks his arm out the window and keeping it straight with palm forward, waves it up and down. He’ll usually look back at the cars behind to see if they will heed his signal. On most occasions the driver will begin the lane change before being granted the courtesy.

Hand signals in general are rather ambiguous in this country. The top signal often gets confused with the left turn signal. And the right-hand turn gesture is seldom used. This is especially true of women, a man would say.

The driver’s arm out the window may mean he is going to stop or pull off to the right, if he is moving; or it may mean he is going to go, as with a cab driver that has just stopped to take on a passenger. It may also mean he is turning or pulling to the left—even though the arm is in the same posture as when the signal means “stop.” That is, the arm usually has only one position: straight out at window level, palm forward. He may just be holding the door in place so it doesn’t fall off.

The Horn
Someone once said that to drive in Santo Domingo you need a horn more than brakes. Was he ever right! Dominicans use the horn from dawn to dusk. And there are innumerable varieties of beeping.

One little short beep: “I’m here: do you see me?” This signal, however, if used at a stoplight, is particularly insulting to foreigners. Yet Dominicans love to play the game this way. It then means, “The light is green, stupid. I saw it before you did. Now get moving!” At least, that is how foreigners interpret that beeping. Of course, Dominicans want motion, but they mean no offense.

Two little beeps, for instance at an intersection: “I’m coming through.” This is an announcement of intentions subject to last-minute change. Whereas...
Two long beeps: “Out of the way” or “Watch out! I’m coming through, and if you get in the way, we will have an accident.” Maybe it is part of the “machismo” phenomena, maybe not. But for sure, Dominicans play a lot of “chicken” on the road. The driver with the most nerves of steel (or massive steel grille work) gets to go first.

This is not only true at intersections, but with passing everything else. “He who hesitates is lost.” The thing to remember here is that hesitation on your part is read immediately as a “go” by the other driver. So you cannot hesitate and then “go” yourself.

One long honk of the horn means, “Danger, stupid; can’t you see!” Breathe easy if you hear this one, because 80 percent of the time the danger has just passed like the thunder after the stroke of lightening that did not kill you.
For most of the time, this is the Dominican driver’s only revenge, his only vent for the anger, when you have just cut in on him, putting both of you in danger.

That you have scared him to death doesn’t really matter to him much. What matters more, deep down inside, is that you were more “macho” than he. And you won the game. His only recourse is this horn honk —and perhaps a few select words if he can catch up to you. “Road rage” is as common as “road courtesy” you’re not likely to witness either.

Headlights
Dominicans have developed a form of self-defense against the radar speed control units. The daytime-blinking lights are it. It warns on-coming drivers that they are approaching a radar trap.

The speed traps have had a sobering effect on speeders and have significantly reduced accidents since their introduction to the Dominican Republic. Just the same, one has to smile at the blinking lights (Of course, it’s up to you to return the favor)

At night, these same blinking lights (alternating low-beam/high-beam) have a different meaning. Normally used at intersections, they are used by a driver who considers that he has the right of way and is going through. 
On the other hand, if the driver behind you blinks his lights, it means, “I’m going to pass in a hurry.” Perhaps there is an emergency. So pay attention to incessant blinking lights.

After dark, and even sometimes during the day, the headlights are used to signal drivers' messages. Pay attention also to one long light flash. It means, “I’m coming through, no matter who has the right of way.” At night this may be an oncoming car switching from low to high beam. He may be on your side of the street and unable to get back into his lane in time (because of a big hole, for instance).

As a rule of thumb, try and get to where you need to be in daylight hours, driving at night is an adventure in of itself.

Sirens and improvised sirens
Speaking of emergencies... As soon as you have driven a few days in Santo Domingo, you will notice a surprising phenomenon. Dominicans do not pull to the right for sirens because ambulances are often used as hearses, especially in the countryside; and because frequently people in possession of sirens abuse the fact by using them unwarrantedly. Furthermore, several cars will take advantage of a speeding ambulance to get behind and make it to their destination faster. So for these and other reasons, Dominicans do not respect the siren.

That does not mean you should not. Dominican law is exactly the same as the United States law with respect to sirens. Vehicles should pull to the right, and yield the right-of-way to the vehicle with the siren. Just look around before you pull to the right. Since no one else will be pulling over, you could cause an accident for being a responsible citizen!

Ambulances are still scarce here. The majority of emergency cases (sudden illnesses, accidents, etc.) are taken to the hospital in private cars, taxis or believe it or not, pick up trucks. The drivers of these cars honk their horns incessantly. And the person in the passenger’s seat may wave his arms frantically out the windows directing cars to yield the right of way as his car whips in and out of the traffic. These improvised sirens definitely are respected —at least to a greater degree than the conventional ones.

Tips on driving in Santo Domingo
2002 was a turning point in transportation for the Dominican Republic. The main highway leading east from Santo Domingo, the Autovia del Este was completed making trips to the East of Santo Domingo safer and faster. Likewise the new bridge over the Ozama River and the Las Americas Expressway, two notorious bottlenecks, have been completed. This gives the DR several excellent highways leaving the city; 6 de Noviembre Expressway going west, the Autopista Duarte going northwest, and the new Autovia del Este going east.

Getting around in Santo Domingo is not much different than any large city. If you’re here for the short term, you will be better off taking taxis. If you will be here for a while, or will be heading out of the city, getting behind the wheel is a fun way to see much more. The important thing to remember is to drive on the defensive. Dominican drivers can be aggressive as they inch their way through bottlenecks and frequent traffic jams. Dominican drivers often mistake motion for progress.

Regardless of the new expressways where cars zooming by at more than 120 kilometers/hour seems the usual, the following tips on driving continue to be valid for driving in the D.R.:

Private Taxis
The private taxi system in Santo Domingo is excellent. For those who have the RD$60-70 to pay for a private taxi, there is no city better served. A call to one of the many companies listed in the Yellow Pages will get a car to you 24 hours-a-day, and usually in less than five minutes. Don’t wait much longer than that, either call again or try another company. You can order your car with air-conditioning or even be picky and request a driver who speaks English. If you find a taxi driver you are especially happy with, ask for a card (“tarjeta” [tarheta]) and you can request him next time you call. 

Tackling the public transport system
At first sight, getting around in Santo Domingo this way may seem chaotic. But believe it or not, there is method in the madness and the system can be easily used and understood, it’s very cheap too, from RD$5-10 pesos will get you just about anywhere.

To the uninitiated, Santo Domingo’s system of public transit can be intimidating—cars that look like they should be in scrap yards, minibuses with shouting conductors, or large overflowing buses all vying for the commuter’s fare. Although the appearance—and sometimes the reality—can be chaotic, and the rides far from luxurious, getting around by public transit in Santo Domingo is usually fairly quick and easy. At RD$3-5 pesos for the bus and RD$5-10 pesos for the “multi-fare paying taxi”, it is far less expensive than a private taxi you could call by phone. Here’s a primer for tackling public transit.

Catching a ride
To get a ride on the city’s public transportation system, just stand on the side of any relatively major street and let your fingers do the walking. Stick your hand out and sort of wave in the direction you want to go. For example, to go straight, flick your finger parallel to the street. Observe more experienced riders for style tips.

Many vehicles just travel the one road, then turn around and go back. Others will turn onto other main streets. For example, some cars head west on Av. Independencia, then turn north on Av. Máximo Gómez. To catch one of those, point your thumb back over your shoulder. Drivers and conductors will help you by doing their own pointing. 
Often you will need to take a couple of separate rides to get where you want to go, and as long as you know where that is, it isn’t too difficult. Stick to main roads if you’re uncertain, and ask the driver to tell you when you reach your crossroad.

Carro talk
Limited knowledge of Spanish is no impediment to riding public transit. There are only a few words you need to know:
Say “Derecho” [duhraycho] if you want to go straight ahead. If you want to know if the vehicle goes as far as a specific street, ask “Hasta la Kennedy” (or whatever street). The only answer you need to know is a nod or a shake of the head.

There are several ways to say you want to get out of the vehicle. In the buses or minibuses or even in cars, if the radio’s blaring you might have to scream. Don’t be shy, or you may end up somewhere you’d rather not be. General “stop” expressions include “Déjame” [dayhame] (Let me out!) and “Dónde pueda” (Wherever you can!).

To stop at the next corner, say “En la esquina” [ehskeena] At bigger intersections, you might want to say “Antes de cruzar” or “Después de cruzar” (Before or after you cross the intersection.) Hysterical screaming will probably work equally as well as any of these suggestions.

Your ride, sir
There are several kinds of vehicles plying the public transport trade. The “carros públicos” are regular cars, some as much as 20 years old. They are usually in varying states of decomposition: cracked or missing windows, no door handles, holes in the floor, smoke coming from various and unexpected places. Expect to sit, depending on the size of the car, with two or three other people in the front seat (including the driver), and three or four (or five) in the back.

“Pollitos” are yellow Nissan minivan taxis and are relatively new, with most having been imported in 2000 to improve the public transport system. Come 2002, expect the “Garzas” or white Nissan minivan taxis to go into service. These are being imported by the Hipolito Mejia administration, also to improve public transport.

“Guagua” usually refers to minivans or minibuses. The vans are often in worse shape than the cars, although the minibuses can actually be quite recent models. The same principle of seating applies: if it doesn’t look like another person can sit there, they probably will anyway. “Guaguas” normally have a “cobrador”, the guy who hangs out the door yelling his destination at people on the side of the street. He also takes your fare, and tells you where to sit for optimum sardine-like capacity. Sometimes he tells jokes too, and he almost always flirts with the women.

The big OMSA buses run on main avenues like Independencia, Nuñez de Cáceres, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy and 27 de Febrero. The Gustavo Mejia Ricart bus commutes through the Naco area. At rush hours, it’s three people to each seat, and as many as can stand in the aisle. If you’re lucky, you stand or sit near the front or back door, to avoid having to squeeze past dozens of people to get out.

That’s the advantage of the carros públicos, in spite of their sorry condition. You never have to climb over more than four people when you want to get out. Another advantage to the carros publicos is that they will stop wherever you need them to. The OMSA buses have fixed stops.

The normal fare on the buses is three pesos for each very long route. The carros publicos will charge RD$5 for a short route. Sometimes the cars will charge you double if it’s a long journey. Check to see what the other passengers are paying. Try to have small change with you. You can book a carro publico to your destination. He will charge about RD$40 for the ride.

The important thing when riding public transit is not to lose your sense of humor. Dominicans generally find it all pretty funny too.

Motoconchos
You want to avoid taking one of these whenever you can. These warriors of the road compete with the cars by taking fare-payers straight to their destination. The accident rate of these vehicles though is far higher than that of any other kind of vehicle. Indeed, one of every two accidents in the Dominican Republic involves motorcycle bike riders. Motoconchos, though, will take you where you need to go and are used for short rides. They charge RD$10 per ride. They are more popular in the towns than in the capital city and add significantly to the noise pollution of these towns.