On Wednesday, January 25th, the Legislative Assembly approved a series of amendments to the Land Transport, Traffic, and Road Safety Law aimed at regulating new violations and increasing fines for public and cargo land transport.

The bill, submitted by the Ministry of Transportation of El Salvador (VMT), raises fines to $50 for minor violations, $100 for serious violations, and $150 for very serious violations related to disruptions in traffic, control, parking, the environment, obstruction of passage, and road safety.

These violations will be imposed by competent authorities through written, electronic, or other means in accordance with current legislation. In this regard, the reform approves the use of automated control systems located on public roads, including photo fines, video surveillance, fixed or mobile radars, and other devices to verify violations.

Lawmakers also approved the creation of 23 new fines to be associated with the vehicle’s license plate; therefore, vehicle owners must provide an email address for notifications.

In total, there are 131 traffic fines, 32 violations committed by public passenger transport drivers, and 37 violations for cargo transport vehicles.

Our associate lawyer, Rubén Rivas, explains that the purpose behind the fine increases is to minimize risks on the roads: “Generally, in traffic and criminal matters, what is in the minds of those who commit violations is that they can be penalized.”

The amendments also allow for the issuance of impersonal tickets even when the violator is not present, and they will be notified via email or messenger to the infringing driver, who has the right to file an administrative appeal at the VMT offices.

Fines can be paid within thirty days of the notification date. If not paid within the specified deadlines, a 4% annual interest will be applied.

Another important aspect of the reform is the creation of the Permanent Driver Evaluation System, which involves the accumulation of points based on violations committed by the driver and the classification of their license.

“People should be aware of the number of points they accumulate, as this will affect the validity of the driver’s license when the total allowable points are exceeded,” adds Rivas.