Juan Manuel Méndez takes over the leadership of Intrant: A new approach to traffic chaos
The Dominican government, under the administration of President Luis Abinader, has made official strategic changes to the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant). Retired Major General Juan Manuel Méndez García, a figure recognized for his work at the head of the Emergency Operations Center (COE) for more than two decades, has been appointed as the new director of the entity through Decree 551-26, following the resignation of Milton Morrison.
Méndez arrives at an institution facing historic challenges: saturated traffic, a fragmented public transport system, and, above all, an alarming mortality rate from road accidents that remains one of the greatest concerns of Dominican society.
From emergency management to the permanent road crisis
Unlike his predecessors, the new director brings a track record marked by inter-institutional coordination during natural disasters and critical situations. However, the current challenge requires a transition from immediate response to long-term preventive planning. In his inauguration, Méndez was cautious to avoid promises of magical solutions, emphasizing that his priority will be strict compliance with Law 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transportation, Transit, and Road Safety.
Traffic is not a problem that is solved overnight; it requires a joint effort and a consistent state policy that transcends isolated operations.
Critical challenges in the work agenda
The new incumbent receives an institution with progress in digitalization processes, such as the new driver’s license system implemented in 2026, but with pending tasks that are vital for national security:
- Reduction of fatalities: With nearly 3,000 traffic-related deaths recorded in 2025, the majority of which involve motorcyclists, the goal is to reduce this figure by 50% by the year 2030.
- Regularization of the motorcycle taxi sector: The challenge is not just to carry out operations, but to establish a permanent registration system that guarantees order without affecting the workers’ livelihood.
- Public transport organization: The integration of modern corridors with traditional routes remains a point of conflict that requires political and technical mediation.
- Points-based license and vehicle inspection (ITV): The definitive implementation of the points-based license to penalize repeat offenders and the launch of the Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) are files that have been pending for years and now require political will to be finalized.
An environment of greater scrutiny
Méndez assumes the position at a time when institutional transparency is fundamental, following the legal questions that affected the previous administration in relation to traffic light contracts. Any technological initiative or large-scale bidding process will be closely monitored by public opinion.
Juan Manuel Méndez’s management will be evaluated not by the number of operations carried out, but by tangible indicators: safer streets, integrated transport, and, fundamentally, the creation of a road culture where the norm is the rule and not the exception. The success of the new director will depend on his ability to convert the coordination he exercised at the COE into a sustainable public policy that manages to transform the chaotic traffic landscape in the Dominican Republic.
