For Juan Fernando, it is a “nightmare” to leave his home. He lives in the north of Guayaquil and every time he sees the photoradar, which he must travel daily, he does so with fear.
This citizen received a fine of $127.50 for speeding a few weeks ago. He assures that he was going at 40 kilometers per hour in front of the photo radar that registers from 50.
According to Juan Fernando, the fine shows that he exceeded that limit. “When leaving the citadel I must brake. I go smoothly and there are other (vehicles) that go by fast,” he says.
The 50-year-old driver decided to challenge the ticket and must wait 30 days to find out if it was accepted or not. “I stood in line for three hours and now you have to wait a month,” he reproaches.
“I feel distrust in photoradars,” say drivers, while ATM, which collected with them 14 million dollars in fines for speeding, ensures that they work well
Roberto experienced a different situation. He has been fined twice for radar cameras at the height of the Metropolis citadel. One in 2021 and another in February 2022.
In both contested and their evidence was accepted. In 2021, he submitted a report from the GPS operator that indicated that he did not exceed 50 kilometers per hour. In the fine it came out that he was going to 57. In the most recent infraction he showed that he did not travel through that same place. He had been fined at 11:10 when he was elsewhere.
Roberto, although he was able to demonstrate that he did not break the rule, claims to be concerned about those fines that he did not cause. “What makes me think is that I was able to prove it, but there are people who don’t have how to do it and they have to pay the fine,” he says.
“I received two fines on days that I did not travel through Barcelona Avenue, in Guayaquil. I challenged and it didn’t help. I paid more than $ 250 “, reproaches the driver fined from a photoradar
From January to March 2022, the Guayaquil Transit and Mobility Agency (ATM) registered 27,196 challenges of traffic fines.
Of these, a little more than 15,000 were ratified in the infractionthat is to say that the users had to cancel the fine. And 10,084 were favorable, that is, that the evidence presented served to demonstrate that they did not fail to comply as in the case of Roberto.
Jorge Félix, ATM Traffic Infractions and Services Director, says that the citizen has several alternatives to challenge a fine, either on the website or at the service centers. He points out that the sponsorship of an attorney is not needed. Also, a third party can make the request with a simple authorization letter.
“Bring the document or within the Service Center the claim is taken. Like any other administrative process, a test term is opened, which the citizen can take and attach the evidence that he considers necessary for his challenge and after that comes the acquittal or conviction resolution, depending on all the evidence that exists within the process”, he explains.
ATM collected 23.7 million dollars in traffic fines in 2021 in Guayaquil and 6.3 million dollars in January and February 2022; experts demand strengthening driver education
The maximum resolution time for a challenge is 30 days and to present the evidence is ten business days.
Felix mentions that the tests may be different. For example, photos, videos, speed logs.
“It will depend on the citizen, for example, if they say that it is not working (photoradar), I ask for the calibration certificate and distort the issue that it is not working. It already depends a lot on the citizen who considers presenting. When it’s citations, it’s the people’s version,” she notes.
It highlights that when it comes to speed reports, it is necessary that the document made by a recognized company be delivered. “You must present the certificate that the car at that time was on that side. What we ask is that it be complete. People say: I was at 09:00 at the Laica University and the radar caught me at 09:07 at Mall del Sol, but 7 minutes have passed and you can get to Mall del Sol. And depending on time and distance, the ATM resolves in favor of that person”, he argues. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
