Spanish
Santo Domingo.-Chaos, pushing and frustration. This is how the mornings go for hundreds of people who regularly use the Santo Domingo Metro, especially at the Mamá Tingó station, where equipment failures or technical faults repeatedly occur, leading to the collapse of the main access during rush hour.
Users report that this type of situation forces them to remain between one and two hours trying to enter and board the train. The overcrowding, desperation, and lack of personnel to guide or expedite the process further aggravate the problem.
"It's total chaos, this is unsustainable," expressed a visibly annoyed user.
"We're late for work and they don't even understand. They call you out there as if you did it on purpose," commented a young worker.
"It's always the same. Always. The authorities have to step up and put more effort into this. You can't live like this," denounced another user.
This situation is compounded by the fact that, in several of these congestion episodes, the escalators and elevators have also been out of service, making access difficult for people with reduced mobility, who are forced to climb the traditional stairs amidst the disorder.
The testimonies collected agree on the same idea: lack of maintenance, poor planning, and absence of clear answers from the authorities.
"This breaks all the time. There is no maintenance, no staff to guide. You enter as you can," expressed another passenger.
"This is already routine. You come prepared to work hard. It shouldn't be like this, but it's already normal," concluded a young student.
The discontent persists among those who rely on this transportation system to arrive at their destinations on time.
Although the Santo Domingo Metro represents a key solution for transit in the capital, many of its users consider that, without urgent improvements, it is ceasing to be a relief to become a daily burden.
