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Minister Arias Asks
Legislators To Deal Calmly With The Tránsito
Reforms; Not Time To Talk Veto
The controversy surrounding the new Ley de
Tránsito (Traffic Act) has taken another
twist, now the government of Oscar Arias is
asking the legislative assembly to take its
time to in dealing with the reforms approved
the week earlier and found to be with
technical errors and problems with
constitutionality by a legislative
commission.
The ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo
Arias, made the statement Wednesday
afternoon following the weekly cabinet
meeting at Casa Presidencial.
The new Ley de Tránsito that calls for stiff
fines, loss of points and jail for drunk and
reckless drivers, went into effect on March
1, 2010.
Ministro de la
Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias
Since then, legislators have been scurrying
to make the reforms they have been
contemplating from all the same day when the
approved the law in December 2008 and that
was supposed to have gone into effect on
September 23, 2009 and then pushed back to
March 1.
"Unfortunately the traffic passed in motions
was discussed by the Departamento de
Servicios Técnicos del Congreso (Technical
Services Department) and found shortcomings
and ask that legislators consider the
changes calmly and not take things in a
hurry. We think it is wrong to act hastily",
said minister Arias.
The main points of the reforms, among the
many motions passed in first reading, is the
total elimination of the point system that
would lead bad drivers to the temporary loss
of their drivers license, and permanent to
repeat offenders; the reduction of the
monetary fines up to 66% of the original
fines in the new law; and the increase of
the legal drunk limit.
The has been an outcry from a large segment
of the population that the reforms would
leave the country with a watered down
version of the law that was to have changed
the behaviour of drivers and promote a
social conscience among the population. Many
of the polls on television and the print
media revealed that more than 85% of
respondents were against the reforms.
Of course the call from minister Arias and
the government is not binding on
legislators, which can, in their right, move
to correct the errors in the reform and pass
it before the time for this legislative
assembly ends by the end of April.
In that case, Costa Rican president Oscar
Arias would have the power of the veto, to
send the reforms to the law back to the
drawing board.
Minister Arias was clear that if the reforms
are approved and with the errors, the veto
is a distinct possibility, but would not
speculate what his brother, the president,
would or would not do.
Minister Arias made it clear that he would
be calling on all Liberación party
legislators, the majority in the legislative
assembly, to take their time to study the
report of the Technical Services and the
changes proposed.
For now, the country is in a total state of
confusion.
What fines and sanctions are applied to
offending drivers? The full weight of the
law as it went into effect on March 1 or the
reforms? |
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