 |
|
INSIDECOSTARICA.COM
| COSTA RICA
NEWS BRIEFS
| Sunday
06 February 2011 |
 |
|
|
|
More
Pencil
Sharpening
Required
For New
Traffic
Law
Movimiento
Libertario
(ML)
legislator
representating
in the
province
of
Cartago,
Carlos
Góngora
Fuentes,
said
that the
reform
of the
Ley de
Tránsito
(Traffic
Act)
that is
pending
in a
committee,
still
needs "a
lot of
pencil
sharpening"
on some
major
issues.
One of
the the
major
issues
is the
system
of
points.
Fuentes
says
that the
committee
has yet
to
decide
the
total
number
of
points.
The
current
system
allows a
driver
50
points,
discounted
with
each
infraction,
leading
to a
loss or
revocation
of
license.
The
committee
is
suggesting
the
number
of
points
be 12
with
only
"moving"
violations
being
demerited.
Another
major
issues
is the
amount
of the
fine.
The
current
law that
went
into
effect
on March
1, 2010,
calls
for
fines of
up to
˘300.000
with
costs
and
allowances
for the
PANI -
the
child
welfare
agency.
Many
believe
the
fines
are too
high, in
some
cases
more
than the
value of
the
vehicle
being
driven.
Although
lower
fines
have
been
discussed,
the
committee
has yet
to set
the
amounts.
Another
issue
being
tackled
by
legislators
is the
Riteve
or
vehicular
inspections.
The
legislators
are
attempting
to avoid
a
disorder
that has
been
present
for many
years,
like the
case of
vehicle
owners
in
remote
areas
having
to
travel
great
distances,
for lack
of
sufficient
inspection
stations,
to have
their
vehicle
inspected.
Other
issues
being
discussed
and
without
any
concrete
resolutions
are the
prohibition
of a
person
carrying
a
firearm
on a
public
bus.
The
Traffic
Act
includes
the
prohibition,
however,
in Costa
Rica the
law
permits
anyone
who has
the
proper
paperwork
to carry
a
firearm,
including
on a
public
bus.
Reforms
to the
Ley de
Tránsito
began
immediately
after
the
implementation
of the
law last
March.
The same
legislators
who had
passed
the 18
months
earlier
(the law
was
passed
in
December
2008,
but only
the
drunk
driving
provisions
went
into
effect)
saw the
error in
their
draft
and
began
proposing
changes.
However,
by the
end of
their
mandate
on May
1, 2010,
they
could
not
reach a
consensus
and left
the work
to the
group of
legislators,
who
realized
that the
problem
was
greater
than a
tweak
her and
there,
deciding
on
setting
up a
legislative
committee
to study
the
changes
and
propose
an
entirely
new law.
That
committee,
almost a
year and
behind
on its
original
time
frame,
is still
working
on the
issue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join
our Facebook page
