MOPT To Add More Traffic Cameras; Banks Cash In On Special Traffic Camera Ticket Loans

While hundreds of drivers and vehicle owners line up the offices of the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (Cosevi) in La Uruca (San José) to appeal their traffic camera tickets, the Ministerio de Transportes is looking at adding more cameras.

Currently the Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT), under the direction of the Cosevi, operates sixteen cameras in six different points in the Central Valley.

The 16 cameras are responsible for issuing an average of 1.000 speeding tickets (vehicles picked off going 20 km/h over the posted limit) daily.

The first list of infractors - some 15.400 - was published this week for the period of September 8 to 20. And while this list grows, so will be the camera locations.

Currently there are two camera locations on the autopista General Cañas, two on the Florencio del Castillo, one on the Circunvalacion and one on the Radial Alajuela

Coming very soon, according to the MOPT, will be cameras in Curridabat, the autopista Bernardo Soto (west of the airport), Paraiso de Cartago, Pérez Zeledón, the Interamericana Norte and Ruta 32 in Guapiles.

In total, by this time next year, the MOPT expects to have some 150 cameras working, checking on drivers all around the country.

According to the Cosevi on average drivers/vehicle owners are issued one ticket, but there are a small number who have accumulated multiple tickets in the first few weeks of operation of the cameras.

The title holder is a woman (her name withheld) with a total of 12 tickets so far. At ¢308.000 colones each, she owes the Cosevi a total of ¢3.700.000 colones.

But, have no fear, the banks are quickly getting into the traffic camera game, offering loans and payment plans to those facing traffic camera fines.

So far, the Banco Nacional is the first to offer this type of financing, but you can be assured that that the other banks will quickly jump on the bandwagon, with offers much lower - we presume - than he 3% monthly the Cosevi adds to unpaid tickets.