Ley de Transito Passed
in First Reading
Legislators kept their
promise, yesterday, at
7:25pm, voted in favour
of the tougher fines and
sanctions against drunk
and irresponsible
drivers. The final vote
for the first reading of
the Ley de Tránsito was
37 in favour and 4
against.
The reforms to the Ley
de Tránsito included
stiffer fines of up to
˘227.000 colones for
offences like drinking
and driving, up from the
current ˘20.000, and
from six months to eight
years in prison for "homicidio
culposo", death
resulting from a traffic
accident and a
suspension of a drivers
license from three to 15
years.
The law also provides
for a point system. Each
driver is given 50
points and reduced with
each infraction. The
demerit points is based
on a list of infraction
and once the drivers
reaches 0 points the
first, the license is
suspended for two years
and must then submit to
the process of obtaining
a new license. The
second time the
suspension is for five
years, the third time
around the suspension
will be for 10 years. In
addition to the license
suspension, the driver
will be required to pay
the corresponding fines
and surcharges.
Drunk drivers will lose
all 50 points and have
their license suspended
and must pay the
˘227.000 fine. That is a
drastic sanction from
the current fine ˘20.000
and nothing else.
Pirate taxi drivers will
also face the ˘227.000
fine if found providing
"illegal" taxi services.
Not respecting a traffic
signal, like passing on
a red light, for
instance, a common
occurrence that was only
a nightly practice that
has no converted into a
regular practice at any
time of day or place,
will be sanctioned by a
˘165.000 and 25 points.
Not stoppin at a stop
sign or giving
pedestrians a right of
way, will face the same
penalty.
The offence of talking
on a cellular phone that
now costs ˘5.000 colones,
will cost ˘165.000
colones and 20 points
once the Ley de Tránsito
is approved in second
reading and becomes law.
Legislators have agreed
that second reading
would occur on Thursday
and then it only
requires the signature
of Costa Rican
president, Oscar Arias
and publication in the
official government
newspaper, La Gaceta.
The Ministerio de
Transportes then has
three months to emit a
set of regulations to
apply the law.
However, it is unlikely
that the ministra de
Transportes, Karla
Gonzalez, will let such
a time pass, as she has
been a proponent of the
legislation from its
inception more than two
years ago.
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