Crackdown on diablos rojos and pirate buses

PANAMA  may finally be seeing the end of the noise and air polluting “Diablos Rojos “  (retired US school buses) that continue to appear on the streets in spite of multi-million dollar compensation payments by the government.

In a decree  published in the Public Gazette on Monday, Oct 16, The Transit  Authority (ATTT) announced tough new the sanctions against unlicensed diablos rojos ” and pirate buses and President Juan Carlos Varela took time out to confirm their departure.

Providing public transport in an unauthorized vehicle will mean a $!.000 fine and license suspension for six months for the first offense  $2,500 and a 1-year suspension on the second; $5,000 and license cancellation for a third offense.

An additional fine of $5,000 is added for “incompatibility of the parties with respect to vehicle registration.”

Sanctions were also updated for off-route  (pirate) services. Drivers will receive a fine of $1,000 and license suspension for 6 months the first time; a fine of $1,750 and suspension for one year the second; and a fine of $ 2,750 and suspension for 2 years the third time. In addition, 20 demerit points will be awarded for each occasion and the driver will have to attend seminars and talks.

President s Varela said on Monday, Oct 16, that the diablos rojos do not have to be on the streets because since 2013 the state has invested more than $90 million to get them out of circulation.

“From tomorrow the authorities will start operations, to enforce the rules and to remove the diablos rojos that are offering the transport service without a certificate of operation,” the president emphasized.

More wagons
Varela also announced the acquisition of 70 new subway wagons, of which  12 have already arrived and the rest will go into operation in January 2018, to double the current capacity of the Metro.

Other moves to improve public transport will be the purchase of 273 new buses to strengthen the frequency of Metro Buses. Starting in November, 203 large buses will begin circulating and, in March 2018, 73 medium buses.