Juan Manuel Méndez García explained that officers would use electronic devices to consult data and record violations; he clarified that the system is not the same as photo enforcement
SANTO DOMINGO.- SANTO DOMINGO. – The National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (INTRANT) is proposing to replace the traditional paper forms used to record traffic fines with electronic devices, as part of a process of digitizing road enforcement.
The executive director of INTRANT, Juan Manuel Méndez García, explained that the tool would allow agents to consult information related to vehicles and drivers and to register infractions digitally.
The initiative aims to reduce errors associated with manually filling out forms and facilitate the management of data generated during inspections. In fact, INTRANT issued a statement clarifying that the digital inspection process the institution is considering does not involve the implementation of photo enforcement, but rather is a technological tool designed to modernize and make the process of issuing traffic citations more efficient.
During an interview on the program Zol de la Mañana, Méndez García also clarified that the so-called digital enforcement is not equivalent to a photo-enforcement system. “Digital enforcement is not the same as photo enforcement. I haven't mentioned photo enforcement,” the official stated.
How will INTRANT's digital oversight work?
According to Méndez García, the process would maintain the in-person participation of the agents, who would use the device to consult data such as the vehicle's license plate, sticker, and driver's license.
The main difference would be in the tool used to issue the citation. Instead of manually filling out a paper form, the officer would use a tablet or other electronic device to access information and record the corresponding data. “It’s basically replacing the paper forms that the officers of the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (DIGESETT) use to issue tickets—sometimes with handwriting they themselves can’t understand—with a tablet or other device,” Méndez García explained.
Will INTRANT's digital enforcement be a form of photo enforcement?
No. It's not about cameras. The director of INTRANT also emphasized that the system maintains a physical component, as the officer conducts the inspection and uses the device to consult and record information related to the infraction. In that sense, he clarified that it is not a system where a camera takes a picture of a vehicle and automatically generates a fine, a concept commonly associated with photo-enforced traffic tickets.
Méndez García explained that the implementation of a photo-fine system corresponds to a different mechanism and that, for its application, the process related to traffic light networks and the necessary technological infrastructure would first have to be completed.
What is the difference between digital inspection and a photo ticket?
The main difference lies in the way the infraction is detected and recorded.
In digital auditing:
- The agent is present during the procedure.
- Use an electronic device.
- You can view vehicle and driver information.
- Digitally record the violation.
In a photo-enforcement system:
- Cameras or other automated systems are used.
- The technological infrastructure detects certain violations.
- The image or evidence captured is part of the process of identifying the infraction.
Digitization and Law 63-17
Juan Manuel Méndez García recalled that the modernization of management and oversight processes is part of the institutional efforts aimed at strengthening the application of Law No. 63-17, on Mobility, Land Transport, Transit and Road Safety.
The regulations establish the framework for the regulation of mobility and land traffic in the Dominican Republic.
Méndez García argued that the role of the authorities is not only to apply sanctions, but also to ensure that drivers comply with traffic regulations and contribute to order and road safety.
“The role of the authority is not only to oversee in order to receive the resources; it is simply to ensure that the law is being followed,” he stated.
What will change for drivers?
If the proposal is implemented as explained by INTRANT, drivers would continue to be checked in person by agents, but the recording of violations would no longer depend on traditional paper forms.
The officer would have an electronic tool to consult data and record the infraction, with the aim of reducing errors and making the process more efficient.
According to Méndez García, the measure does not mean that fines will be automatically generated by cameras. The proposed digital enforcement system maintains the involvement of an officer and represents a technological shift in how violations are recorded.
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