Q BLOGS — In January 2023 QCostarica.com published an article entitled, “Traffic Fines See the Highest Increase in Ten Years.”
David Jackson, a San José resident for more than 20 years, who had never received a traffic ticket here, read the article and made a note to himself to be extra careful while driving. But he discovered being careful was not enough. On February 9 at 7:02 PM, he received a citation for making an illegal left turn on Avenida 9 between Calles 0 and 2 in downtown San José, showing that it is possible to be charged with violating a no left turn sign even when the sign is not there!
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This was an obvious trap because there were two squad cars and several officers from the Policia de Transito laying in wait to stop Jackson and scores of other innocent drivers who dared to make a left turn.
Mr. Jackson told the officer he didn’t see a sign prohibiting a left turn. The officer claimed that the police are not responsible if a sign has been vandalized by the public. In the opinion of the transit police, the fact that the sign was covered up was not important.
The fine was ¢367,571.01 colones (over $700 at today’s exchange rate), and six points, which could mean license suspension.
An acquaintance with knowledge of how COSEVI works told him he would probably have to pay the steep fine but would not get the points. That sounded unjust to Jackson, who thought he shouldn’t have to pay anything.
Mr. Jackson filed an appeal. But in Costa Rica there is no traffic court. By June he still hadn’t received a response to the appeal. His contact told him COSEVI was backlogged but he should have their decision by September at the latest.
September came and went. Mr. Jackson hoped his case had been dismissed or forgotten in the phlegmatic Costa Rican bureaucracy. But when he went to renew his driver’s license on January 2, he was told it couldn’t be renewed because there was an outstanding fine.
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He is still waiting for a decision on his appeal. His lawyer has written letters and received no response.
But COSEVI has not been dilatory in all matters. They—or someone—had been quick to take down the covered sign and replace it with a new one. It would have been cheaper, of course, to simply repaint the existing sign.
But this is Costa Rica.
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Mark Schreiber
