New Ley De Tránsito
Could Be Reality By
December
Costa Rica's legislators
have agreed to give the
reforms to the Ley de
Tránsito top priority.
Currently the bill that
was presented to the
Legislative Assembly tow
years ago, is in the
motions process.
More than 80 motions
were presented during
its first day and there
are four more days to
go.
Legislator Andrea
Morales, presiding over
the Comisión de Asuntos
Jurídicos that has been
discussing the bill,
said that she is
negotiating with all
party leaders to get the
reforms to the traffic
laws before the
legislative assembly and
with the hopes of
getting the bill
approved and in forced
by December.
Morales said that
December is the time of
year when traffic
accidents are greater,
mainly due to the high
consumption of liquor
and higher incidents of
drinking and driving.
Morales added that she
is looking for a
consensus from the
various political
parties to withdraw a
large number of their
motions so that when the
bill hits the
legislative floor it
will be with the least
number of motions that
take time to debate.
Although the reforms
were introduced by the
Ministerio de Obras
Público y Tránsportes
(MOPT) in 2006, it did
not make it to the
Comisión de Asuntos
Jurídicos until December
2007.
The bill, among other
things, will increase
fines for traffic
violations up to 20
times the current and
include jail time for
reckless and drunk
drivers who cause death
as a result of a traffic
accident.
The reforms to the Ley
de Tránsito also deals
with the problems of
"piques" (street racing)
that has become an
epidemic especially in
the Central Valley and
resulting in a number of
deaths. The reform would
sanction heavily any
individual taking part
in piques.
The bill also includes a
provision to allow
competition for the
annual vehicular
revision that is
currently being offered
only by Riteve S.A., as
well as create a system
of driver license points
to penalize bad or
erratic drivers.
According to Morales,
the issue of raised
fines is the major
stumbling block. |
