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What Happens if You Don't Pay
a Traffic Ticket?
The answer is simple. Nothing.
Drivers are required to pay all
traffic tickets at any branch of
the Banco de Costa Rica. If the
fine goes unpaid, it is then
recorded and collected on the
renewal of the driver's license.
But there is catch.
Article 180 of the Ley de
Tránsito stipulates that fines
not paid must be cancelled after
two years. And there is nothing
the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (COSEVI)
can do about it, which says it
stands to lose some ¢1.200
million colones (us$2.5 million
dollars) this year alone, money
that it could use to buy 350
motorcycles or 36.500 uniforms
for the Transit officials.
Juan Manuel Delgado, director at
Tránsito, assures that not being
able to collect on the fines
means there is no financing for
many projects. Delgado adds that
Article 180 allows drivers to
mock the law by not paying the
fine.
However, there is a movement to
reform Article 180 of the Ley de
Tránsito. Carlos Avendaño an
independent legislator has
presented a bill before Congress
that would see the elimination
of the two year limit on traffic
fines.
In 2004, Transit police issued
fines totalling some ¢979
million colones and in 2003 the
total number of traffic fines
was ¢569 million colones, most
of which have gone unpaid,
according to COSEVI.
The removal of the expiry of the
fines would not only help the
COSEVI to get more funds in
their coffers to finance needed
projects like new traffic
lights, better road
signalization, more equipment,
etc., but would also
certainly change the attitude of
drivers who now scoff at the
law.
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