The announcement by President Abelardo De La Espriella to reform the National Traffic Code has generated a divided response in the country. On one hand, there are those who look forward to the promise of reducing fees, lowering penalties, and eliminating procedures; on the other, mobility experts view the initiative with skepticism, warning that it does not move in the right direction to protect life on the roads.
One of the points that has drawn the most attention is the reduction of up to 50 percent in the value of fines, along with a 25 percent reduction in the cost of educational courses to access discounts. These measures are seen by the Executive as a relief for family budgets and a way to dismantle disproportionate charges.
In response, Darío Hidalgo, mobility expert and professor at the Javeriana University, points out that these reductions alone do not lead to greater non-compliance with traffic regulations. In his view, what really discourages traffic violations is the likelihood of being detected, given the lack of police controls and cameras. When drivers perceive there is no supervision, they proceed to run red lights or exceed speed limits.
Therefore, Hidalgo insists that “the heart of the reform should not be to save people’s wallets, but to improve road safety conditions.” In that vein, he considers the proposal to implement graduated fines set according to the economic capacity of the offender as fortunate.
While for someone driving a high-end vehicle a standard fine may not represent a real deterrent, for a citizen who depends on their vehicle for work the same penalty can seriously compromise their income.
A more critical stance is held by José Stalin Rojas, director of the Logistics and Mobility Observatory at the National University, who warns that lowering these amounts does not reduce the risk of accidents or loss of lives, and that high-risk behaviors, such as speeding, require severe penalties to deter offenders.
He also adds that the signals sent by the National Government can border on populism and seem like a response to campaign commitments with specific sectors such as motorcyclists.
“Fines must be paid and the message must be sent that those who break the law have to pay. The signals the current Government is sending make compliance with the law able to be relativized,” the academic states.
To this assessment, Rojas adds a factor of financial sustainability: a significant percentage of the revenue from penalties feeds funds dedicated to road safety. By reducing the amount of fines generally, these accounts become unbalanced, which will force the State to seek other sources of funding.
Driving licenses, Runt and technical-mechanical inspection
Another promise of the De La Espriella government is to reduce the fees associated with the National Unique Traffic Registry (Runt) and the Integrated Information System on Fines and Sanctions for Traffic Violations (Simit), lower the cost of driving licenses, extend their validity, as well as set “more reasonable” deadlines and costs for the Technical-Mechanical Inspection.
The simplification of these procedures is supported by Juan Fernando Reyes Kuri, former senator and author of the Anti-procedures Law, who considers it excellent news that the reform seeks to eliminate overcharges and unnecessary procedures.
For the former congressman, extending the validity of licenses and streamlining processes is equivalent to “treating the driver as a citizen and not as a cash register“, returning time and economic resources to Colombians.
However, mobility experts ask to carefully analyze the real impact of these fee reductions. Darío Hidalgo explains that, except for the Runt —whose income goes to the Nation—, charges for licenses and registrations correspond to territorial revenues.
Municipal and departmental traffic secretariats depend directly on these resources to finance their operation, their road safety campaigns, and the presence of traffic police. Therefore, reductions must guarantee, at a minimum, coverage of the operational costs of each procedure to avoid underfunding of the entities.
Regarding the proposal to relax the deadlines for the Technical-Mechanical Inspection, Stalin Rojas points out that citizens have already internalized the need for an annual inspection to verify vehicle conditions. Sending the message that this requirement will be relaxed increases the risk of vehicles in poor condition circulating on the roads.
Agreeing with this stance, Hidalgo notes that special care must be taken with this point, recalling that the country records very serious road accidents involving vehicles that even had valid technical certification.
Regarding driving licenses, experts agree that a policy of “clean slate” should not be applied. Rojas recalls that in previous periods progress had been made in schemes where renewal was adjusted to the driver’s age, which he considers a correct approach.
Both Rojas and Hidalgo insist that the reform of the National Traffic Code should rescue the “point-based license” —an initiative that failed in the last legislature— to suspend the document for repeat offenders who pose a high risk on the roads.
Likewise, Hidalgo suggests incorporating a “novice license”, which would impose operational restrictions during the first two years of driving on those obtaining their permit for the first time, ensuring that the document truly reflects the competencies of the person behind the wheel.
Controlling abusive speed cameras
The National Government also announced greater control over speed cameras, a proposal already supported by the Federation of Freight Transport Entrepreneurs (Fedetranscarga).
For the industry, road safety should not become a merely revenue-generating mechanism, but an integral policy of prevention and education. In this sense, it emphasizes the need to review the conditions under which cameras operate in the country to correct possible technical or administrative irregularities.
This concern partly coincides with Darío Hidalgo’s position, who acknowledges the existence of “trap cameras” on the country’s roads. The expert considers unacceptable those devices installed in sections where the speed limit abruptly changes from 80 km/h to 30 km/h without sufficient signage, which generates public resentment and delegitimizes electronic enforcement.
Therefore, Hidalgo argues that this type of abusive cameras must be eliminated. However, he warns of the danger that the debate in Congress could lead to a general dismantling of speed cameras, leaving the country with less control capacity and a possible increase in serious accidents.
Statistics show the positive impact of the proper use of speed cameras: in Bogotá, sections with cameras have recorded a reduction of 1,700 injuries and 42 fatalities compared to scenarios without enforcement. Without these devices, the capital could experience a 9 percent increase in accidents.
Currently, 360 cameras operate in the country and 445 are authorized for installation, so Hidalgo warns that removing efficient devices would result in less control and an increase in road deaths.
In this technological field, the reform also opens space for operational proposals. Bogotá councilor Emel Rojas requests including in the Traffic Code reform a fundamental transformation of the vehicle immobilization system through the creation of the “Patio en Casa” scheme.
This initiative seeks to replace the traditional tow truck and impound lot system —frequently criticized for its high costs and logistical complications— with remote monitoring through electronic devices installed in the vehicle.
Under this regulated model, the owner or holder of the immobilized vehicle could keep it at their own home or an authorized place through a technological device that allows remote supervision by the authorities.
The citizen would carry out the correction of the infraction and administrative procedures digitally, requesting the deactivation of the blocking mechanism once compliance with the requirements is verified.
“This proposal does not intend to eliminate sanctions or disregard traffic authority. It aims to make the immobilization system more efficient, modern, proportional, and humane,” the councilor specifies.