Transisto Cannot Fine Porteadores, Transportes VP Says
A directive by the vice-minister of Transportes, Viviana Martín, on November 21 to the officials of the Policía de Tránsito (traffic officials), effectively ties the hands of traffic officials with respect to the porteadores (informal taxis).

The vice-minister says that porteadores "cannot be subjected to have a formal contract."

The directive tells the traffic officials that the porteadores do not need a formal contract to provide services to one or more customers and a contract, even verbal, does not have to exist before beginning the trip. The vice-minister added that her office has received complaints from porteadores who have been fined for carrying more than one customer, where individual contracts existed.

Neither vice-minister Martín nor Policía de Tránsito directo, Germán Marín, were available for comment yesterday and the subdirector of the traffic police, Huanelger Gutiérrez, said he knew nothing of the directive.

The directive have the porteadores happy with the situation, said Victor Salazar, of the Cámara de Porteadores.

"We have gotten this far thanks to the (formal) taxis. If they had kept quiet it would have been better, but it was them who brought us publicity and attention, being in our rights", said Salazar.

Salazar added that the customer wins in being offered better service. "They have two options: accept us as porteadores or give everyone a taxi plate", said Salazar.

The next step, according to Salazar, is to get the authorities to authorize the porteadores to install and use a "portimetro" - a taxi meter with their established rates, similar to the meter that the formal taxis use.

Some formal taxi groups have said that they will take to the streets to protest the vice-minister's decision.