Not Yielding To
Pedestrians or Insulting
A Taxi Driver Is Subject
To Fine Under New Ley de
Tránsito
Flipping the finger at
your taxi driver or
insulting the driver of
the bus you are riding
in could cost you
¢140.000 colones under
the new Ley de Tránsito
that went into effect on
December 23, 2008.
Although only the drunk
driving and reckless
driving provisions that
deal with as criminal
offences are being
enforced, the rest of
the provisions will
begin to be enforced in
August or September of
this year, the
ministerio de
Transportes is gearing a
public campaign to
explain the rules and
regulations and fines
under the stricter
traffic laws.
Some of the changes in
the rules and
regulations in the new
Ley de Tránsito are
itmes like children
under the age of 12 must
wear restraints and ride
only on the back seat of
a vehicle, passengers
riding a vehicle - bus,
taxi or passenger
vehicle - drunk or
smoking can also be
fined by Tránsito
officials.
Pedestrians have to also
change their habits on
using public streets.
For instance,
pedestrians not using
pedestrian crossings of
jumping out into moving
traffic will get a
ticket, as well as
standing in front of or
behind a vehicle with
the motor running.
The fines under the new
Ley de Tránsito are
steep, going as high as
¢200.000 colones for
many offences, ¢350.000
colones for failing to
obey a direct order of a
Tránsito official.
Carlos Rivas, legal
advisor to the Consejo
Nacional de Vialidad (Conavi),
however, feels that most
of the fines established
in the new law, like
throwing trash from a
moving vehicle, for
example, are adequate.
Pedestrians, according
to Rivas, will be issued
a ticket based on the
document they are
carrying, like a cedula
or passport.
According to Marvin
Jiménez, of the Tránsito
de San José delegation,
traffic officials, as
well as pedestrians and
drivers, will have to
wait and see the actual
regulations that will be
in place in the coming
months.
Some of the practices on
today's roads that are
common driving practice
but soon be subject to a
fine are:
- Driving on a public
beach
- Failing to yield to
pedestrians
- Buses taking on or
letting off passengers
in places other than
official bus stops
- Motorcyclists or
riders of bicycles not
using a helmet
- Passing on the right
- Incorrect use of
headlights - driving
with high beams on, for
instance, or not turning
lights on at night
- Carrying more than the
maximum number of
passengers as per
vehicle registration
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