Saturday 22 November
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Ley de Tránsito To
Go Before Legislators Monday
Gasoline Tax Hikes Price
This Morning; Big Drop
Expected Next Week
2.084 People Already
Paid Their 2009 Marchamo
$15 Airfare Tax Approved
MAG-Universal Radial
Expansion Starts Next
Week
Strong Winds, Cold
Mornings To Last Another
Week
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Ley de Tránsito To Go
Before Legislators
Monday
The Comisión de Asuntos
Jurídicos, de la
Asamblea Legislativa de
Cosa Rica, Friday
morning completed its
work on the Reforma a La
Ley de Tránsito (traffic
law reforms) so that it
can now go to the full
legislative floor on
Monday for discussion
and passage.
The commission cleared
the way of all motions,
ending the commission
process phase of the
legislation that has
been in the works for
more than two years.
The reforms have seen
much debate as it tried
to deal with the
violence that has become
common on the country's
roads, as imprudent and
reckless drivers
continue to mock the
regulations, mainly for
the lack police patrols
and small fines.
The expectations are
positive for a quick
passage for a badly
needed law that would
see not only fines
increased up to more
than 20 times their
current, but stiffer
penalties for drunk and
reckless drivers, the
creation of a point
system that would end up
with a driver losing his
or her license for poor
driving skills, the
creation of stringent
driving education and
controlling speeding,
that is one of the major
causes of fatal
accidents.
The traffic law reforms
also include a jail
sentence of two to six
years for drivers who
are found guilty of
negligence causing death
while behind the wheel
and would expand the
traffic police force by
an additional 400
officials from the
current 800.
The commission made the
concession of setting a
maximum fine of
¢227.000, satisfying
opponents to the
reforms.
An example of the new
fines is the current
¢10.000 colones
(us$18.14) for talking
on a cellular phone
while driving, becomes
¢170.000 (us$308) if the
reforms are passed as
proposed.
What the reforms mean in
practice is that drivers
have to take
responsibility for their
actions when behind the
wheel.
The heads of the parties
- the Liberación
Nacional (PLN), Acción
Ciudadana (PAC), Unidad
Social Cristiana (PUSC)
and the Movimiento
Libertario (ML) - have
all expressed a quick
passage to the reforms.
But in the end it will
be up to the will of
each of the 57
individual legislative
members to approve the
reform.
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