Tránsitos MUST
Apply New Traffic Law
MOPT Officials To Supervise Traffic Cops
The 800 Tránsitos (Traffic officials) are
under obligation to apply the new Ley de
Tránsito (traffic law) that goes into full
effect beginning today. Officials who do not
comply could face disciplinary action for
failure of duty.
Germán Marín, the head of the Policía de
Tránsito, was clear that any officer who
does not apply the new law is in derelict of
his or her duties.
Marín added that the Tránsitos are under
obligation to apply the law irrespective of
their personal feelings and if they agree
with it or not.
The traffic police chief said that a group
of MOPT supervisors will be ensuring that the Tránsitos are meeting their obligations.
For his part, the ministro de Obras Públicas
y Transportes, Marco Vargas, was emphatic
that no Trábsito official can deny their
duty to apply the law, insisting that
serious offences must be fined without
exception, while minor offences can go with
a warning.
The confusion is that there is no concrete
definition of what is a serious and minor
offence.
The minister said earlier in the week that
warnings would be issued for failure to have
an emergency kit or a child restraint seat,
for example, as officials should give
drivers a warning instead of a fine in such
cases.
The Tránsito officials union, the Unión
Nacional de Técnicos y Profesionales en
Tránsito, says that the officials are being
sent out without a full explanation of the
regulations.
However, other than the amount of the fines
and the point system and several new
prohibitions, the new traffic law is
essentially the same as it has been and
offences like not respecting a stop sign or
traffic light, speeding, driving under the
influence, talking on a cellular phone while
driving and not wearing a seatbelt, for
example, are all sanctioned offences.
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
