Public transport vehicles such as buses and taxis are excluded from article 94 of Ley No. 9078 requiring the use of child restraints (car seat) for all children under 12 years of age or less than 1.45m in height.
However, any vehicle licensed to carry school children will NOW be required the have a car seat.
Starting today, any driver of a school vehicle carrying children without a car seat will be subject to a ¢198.000 colones (US$360) fine and four points on their drivers license.
The question of many drivers who do not own the vehicle who will pay for the car seats, and for the businesses, who pays for the reduction of less students per vehicle.
The director of the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (COSEVI) – road safety council, Silvia Bolaños, has the same questions. She told La Nacion that the article of law “has no logic” and “it is very complicated to implement”, but the law is established and the Polica de Tránsito (Traffic Police) has to fine drivers for non compliance.
“The logic would have been to exclude them (school buses), but I see it isn’t…”, said Bolaños.
The requirement for school vehicles was included in the new traffic law that went into effect on October 26, 2012, But it wasn’t until Monday, April 28, 2014, that the regulations were put into place.
Editor’s note: This is just another example of the idiotic laws that lawmakers dream up. The reality is that, whenever a new law or regulation is put into effect, traffic officials are directed to enforce compliance. Hundreds to thousands of drivers are fined, then the law/regulation is suspended by the Constitutional Court and fines cancelled.
Remenber the traffic cameras? Or the tinted windows? What about the botequin (safety kit)?
Those drivers how pay up are out of pocket, the COSEVI does not refund any paid fines, legal or not. This explains the resistance of many national and foreigners for not paying their traffic tickets on time, waiting it out until the very last minute.
