Dominican Republic ramps up crackdown on illegal motoconcho operations

Authorities in the Dominican Republic carried out a series of coordinated enforcement actions targeting illegal motorbike taxi (motoconcho) services. In Dajabón, police, the National Institute of Transit (INTRANT), the Central Investigation Directorate (DICRIM), traffic safety officials and the National Drug Control Directorate seized motorcycles, confiscated weapons, and detained several individuals at ten identified stops.

Similar operations were conducted in the National District and Santo Domingo province, where officers inspected dozens of high‑traffic intersections, seized 46 motorcycles, and detained numerous riders for lacking proper documentation, licenses, insurance, and helmets. Over 189 people were processed, including checks on migrant status and searches for prohibited substances.

The actions are part of the government's broader plan to formalize the motoconcho sector, enforce Law 63‑17 on mobility and transit, and improve road safety after a series of violent incidents involving motorcyclists. INTRANT Director Milton Morrison and Interior Minister Faride Raful emphasized that the crackdown aims to regularize the service, protect citizens, and reduce informal operations that have been reported as prevalent across the country.