Dominican Republic motoconchos sector seeks stricter licensing and helmet rules

The Dominican Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (Afamoto) reported that motoconchos in Greater Santo Domingo move roughly 1.5 million passengers each day, employing about 180,000 riders – a workforce larger than the country’s free‑zone employees. Afamoto president Darío Lama said the main safety challenge is not new legislation but enforcing the existing Law 63‑17, noting that many riders lack proper licences and vehicle plates. The group has asked the tax authority to replace the long‑used "carta de ruta" with permanent alphanumeric, reflective plates and to reinstate an annual motorcycle sticker to improve registration accuracy and enable camera‑based monitoring.

The National Coordinator of Motoconchistas (Coordinamoto) emphasized that the immediate priority is mandatory use of homologated helmets by drivers, while a policy for passenger helmets remains under discussion due to hygiene concerns. President José Ureña highlighted ongoing training sessions across provinces to educate riders on road safety and the provisions of Law 63‑17, and called for stronger supervision of irregular operations as part of the sector’s formalization.

Both organisations stress that better enforcement, clearer identification, and protective equipment are essential to reduce traffic accidents and sustain a vital transport service for millions of Dominicans.