March 16, 2026
Drivers operating the Carrefour–Port-au-Prince route observed a work stoppage on Monday, January 5, to denounce the installation of a tenth illegal toll booth on Magasin de l’État Street. They condemned barriers “controlled by armed groups” used to extort money. According to them, this now-systematic practice “strangles transport operators and endangers passengers,” while paralyzing a route vital to daily economic activity.
This protest reflects long-standing frustration with the inaction of authorities, as drivers are calling for “urgent state intervention” to put an end to these forced levies. The work stoppage disrupted traffic between Carrefour and downtown Port-au-Prince, illustrating the direct impact of insecurity on mobility and the normal functioning of urban activities.
In this climate of social pressure, the Haitian National Police recently carried out an operation in Bercy, in the commune of Arcahaie, where an illegal toll booth run by bandits was dismantled and destroyed. This intervention, presented as an effort to restore public order, aims to curb the spread of these criminal setups that fuel the extortion economy on national roads.
