During these days at the beginning of the year, hundreds of thousands of vehicles travel through the country’s highways, either to return to the cities where they live or to continue enjoying the January holidays before returning to activities in 2023.
(Is there a legal way not to pay tolls in Colombia?).
On the roads, in the middle of the trips, the tolls will be bursting and, in some cases, drivers will have to be patient in front of the long lines of vehicles that will pass through these points.
Even given the high number of cars, several cases have already been known on social networks in which, tired of waiting and the traffic at these payment points, drivers ask that the talanqueras be lifted without paying the toll, with in order for traffic to flow and traffic jams to be avoided.
But is this possible? Can someone avoid paying the toll without being fined? Is there a way to not get charged?
Although the regulation requires that all drivers are required to pay for a toll, there is a decree that seems to exempt them from this charge, in some cases.
(Rates and services that will rise in 2023 with inflation).
This is Decree 071, of the Ministry of Transportation, issued on January 8, 2009 and which says in its article 3: “Authorizes the Directorate of Transit and Transportation of the National Police to comply with the ministerial directive to raise the barrier (talanquera) at the toll stations administered by the concessions and/or the National Institute of Roads (Invías), and allow the passage of vehicles when the number of these generates damming, as stipulated in the contractual obligations and reiterated in official letter MT-4562-1 65536 of December 19, 2006, requiring the presence of the inspectors”.
However, at the beginning of the Decree it is stated that “Transitional measures are adopted in terms of vehicles used for cargo transport service on some road sections.”
However, a letter from the Ministry of Transportation to the president of the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI), who at the time requested clarification of the rule, stated that these were temporary measures during that year for the Easter holiday season. and end of the year.
That is, they are not valid, which is why those who do not make the payment by appealing to this measure are exposed to fine B8, which says: “Do not pay the toll in the established places”, whose The penalty in this case is eight current legal daily minimum wages (around 310,000 pesos).
BRIEFCASE
