BÁVARO, LA ALTAGRACIA.- The development of multiple real estate projects being built in the East of the Dominican Republic urgently requires urban planning that puts a stop to the disorderly model with which constructions are being carried out, said businessman Ricardo Hernández, executive vice president of Construction & Capital International.
“Growth has to be organized. There is something in the world called urban planning, which is not just about building apartments, it's about determining the areas where shopping centers, hotel zones, and spaces where apartments or buildings of up to a certain height will be located,” the engineer stated.
He explained that the Bávaro and Punta Cana of 10 years ago no longer exist. “We are a city in expansion. A city in expansion requires a complete re-engineering because Avenida Barceló was built 30 years ago. And we are not in a city like it was 30 years ago, when there were 15,000 inhabitants; no, we have already surpassed 100,000. So, between the floating tourist population, which is not visible because they are inside the all-inclusive hotels, but which does go out, and all the people who, for example, come for a weekend, the Airbnbs, and all the people who are buying properties, whether for investment or to enjoy a long weekend, those weekends become chaotic,” he commented.
According to Hernández, these areas were not prepared for the current real estate boom or population growth, which is why traffic jams persist. He cited avenues like Barceló, which has practically collapsed, and where from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, "it has become a real hell, because the city wasn't prepared," he asserted
He asked, "Where are the regulations implemented by the authorities?" after emphasizing that if they were applied, they should include pedestrian walkways, which all projects are required to have. "Currently, I see a shortage of parks. You go to any European country, like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and you see the parks," the engineer explained.
Businessman Ricardo Hernández. (Fidel Pérez/El Inmobiliario).
In a conversation with El Inmobiliario, the businessman, who has lived in Bávaro since 2006, emphasized that parks are an essential part of family recreation. “Where you can sit with a child in a stroller, where children can ride bikes safely, where there’s no risk of robbery or assault, where no one’s wallet will be stolen. These are the things that contribute to a city’s development. It’s not just hotels and real estate developments,” he stated.
He opined that when a city develops, it has schools, hospitals, good roads, shops, and supermarkets. "In other words, they place them in different areas to avoid congesting any one place.".
He indicated that territorial planning must take into account how the city will grow, what it will look like in five years, how many planes will be landing at the airport, what transportation options will be available, what projects are in the pipeline, and how cargo trucks are damaging the road. “Because every time 200 or 300 trucks pass through that corner loaded with gravel, rocks, or cement, they are damaging the asphalt. There needs to be a maintenance crew in this area, which is the most important tourist destination in the Caribbean,” Hernández stated.
No maintenance plan
Hernández, who graduated in International Economic Relations, in addition to studying Military Engineering in his native Cuba, cannot explain how in 10 years the roads used by tourists have not been maintained.
“There is no maintenance on the Eastern Tourist Boulevard or on the roads. You sometimes see people from Public Works sweeping with a broom, but as I wrote, even on a Facebook page inviting President Abinader to come with the Minister of Public Works to tour that road and the entire Barceló Avenue in Bávaro because they are a disaster,” he pointed out.
He maintained that 90% of the people traveling on those roads are tourists. “We’re talking about a plane landing at Punta Cana airport every four or five minutes. So, you go out on the highway and you see 200 or 300 buses going in both directions at the same time. And if we have deteriorated roads, that leads to accidents,” he stated.
In his opinion, the government should have a permanent maintenance brigade, so that if a hole opens up, it is corrected immediately and not left to worsen.
He explained that the existing traffic chaos is due, among other reasons, to the fact that a number of establishments are located on the sides of the road.
