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Transport in the Dominican Republic utilizes a system of roads, airports, ports, harbours, and an urban railway.
Five main highways (DR-1, DR-2, DR-3, DR-4, DR-5) connect the Dominican Republic's biggest cities and tourist centers; they are in good condition. There are nearly 19,705 km (12,244 mi) of highways and roads, 9,872 being paved and 9,833 km (6,110 mi) (2002 est.) unpaved. Like any underdeveloped nation, the Dominican Republic suffers from a lack of good paved roads to connect smaller towns and less populated areas, though work on paving them proceeds. Major town roads are kept in good condition.
The Santo Domingo Metro is the first mass transit system in the country, and the second among Caribbean & Central American nations. It is the most extensive metro system in the region by length and total number of stations. On February 27, 2008, the incumbent president Leonel Fernández test-rode the system for the first time, and thereafter free service was offered several times. Commercial service began on January 30, 2009. Several additional lines are currently planned.
Santiago Light Rail is a planned light rail system, still at the development stage, in the Dominican Republic's second-largest city Santiago de los Caballeros. Construction was slated to begin in mid-2008 but is currently on hold, due to lack of approval and of central government funds.
The Dominican Republic has a bus system that is rather reliable, and most of these public transportation vehicles are fairly comfortable. The fare is generally inexpensive, and there are bus terminals and stops in most of the island's major cities. [1]
The Public Cars ( Carros Públicos–Conchos) are privately owned passenger cars that transit a specific route daily Passengers may request a stop anywhere along the route. Carros Públicos carry a significant portion of commuters in Santo Domingo and other major cities. The system is not very reliable and lacks oversight and regulation which leads to congestion and other issues. They may also be somewhat uncomfortable, since drivers try to fit as many people as possible inside the vehicles. Carros Públicos are often standard sedans, but can be packed with as many as six passengers.[ citation needed ]
Rail operations are provided by one state-owned operator and several private operators (mainly for sugar mills). There are no rail connections with neighboring Haiti.
Major ports and harbours in the Dominican Republic:
The following six local ports are a single pier with berth facility:
A local ferry service runs daily between the Samaná and Sabana del Mar ports.
Boaters and sailors who wish to dock in any of the Dominican Republic's ports must follow certain entry requirements:
In 2009, there were seven major and 31 minor airports in the Dominican Republic. The major ones were:
There are direct flights to and from the Dominican Republic from the United States, Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the Caribbean.
