New Traffic Tickets in Tijuana Aim to Cut Down on Corruption

Authorities in Tijuana and elsewhere in Baja California have developed a new plan they hope will cut back on police corruption and tourist headaches.

In a pilot program initiated in Tijuana earlier this month, foreign motorists cited for non-criminal violations--such as running stop signs or red lights, speeding and parking illegally--are issued bilingual tickets enumerating fines that can be paid by mail.

Officials hope the program will reduce instances in which traffic officers attempt to extort on-the-scene payments from motorists--a time-honored tradition south of the border, one that victimizes many more Mexican citizens than foreign visitors.

But the new system is designed solely for tourists, an indication of the continuing campaign to attract foreign visitors.

“We think this will benefit everyone--our officers, the tourists, and our city’s image,” explained Julian Dominguez Arce, chief of the municipal transit police in Tijuana.

The new system, based on the U.S. system for driving infractions, requires motorists simply to sign the citation, two copies of which remain with the issuing officers; violators get the third copy. Once home, they may mail the payments to a post office box in San Diego. Or they may challenge the infraction at transit police offices in Baja.

Before the new system was instituted, tourists cited for infractions were required, in theory, to accompany officers to the transit headquarters. There, the accused could either pay the fine or argue the case before an adjudicator. Many feared ending up in jail.

Many motorists, accustomed to the system, offer bribes even before the lawmen solicit them, leaving low-paid Mexican police with little incentive to follow the established legal process.

Fear of such encounters has long discouraged tourists from visiting Tijuana and other Mexican border cities.