DTOP approves proposed 35% discount on traffic fines

Rep. José Hernández Concepción

By The Star Staff

The Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its acronym in Spanish) supported a measure Thursday, during a public hearing in the House of Representatives, proposing a 35% discount on traffic fines.

The initiative aims to encourage the expedited payment of penalties related to AutoExpreso tolls, expired placards and administrative infractions.

Rep. José “Cheito” Hernández Concepción, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, initiated the evaluation process for House Bill 602. The bill also proposes a 100% discount on accrued interest and surcharges on fines. Additionally, drivers who enter into a payment plan will receive a 50% discount on those interest payments and surcharges.

Hernández Concepción emphasized the importance of approaching the amnesty initiatives thoughtfully to ensure their completion. He announced that further public hearings will be held once the report from the Legislative Assembly Budget Office is received, but said he wanted to kick off the process now with the goal of approving it this year.

DTOP Associate Secretary Marcos García noted that no new fines related to the AutoExpreso system have been issued since April 2022, meaning only fines issued before that date will qualify for the proposed discounts. He recommended that the legislation clearly state that any AutoExpreso-related discounts apply to tickets and that the toll charges owed must be paid in full.

“Any citizen who opts for a payment plan for AutoExpreso fines must pay the total amount of tolls owed at the time of requesting the payment plan, while the fines can be paid according to the existing provisions,” García said. “This is crucial, as the Highway and Transportation Authority has obligations to the various concessionaires managing the toll roads.”

Hernández Concepción noted that the last similar incentive approved by the Legislative Assembly was in 2016. That amnesty lasted 180 days, benefiting 152,000 individuals and generating $44.5 million in revenue for the island treasury.

Data presented by the DTOP during the hearing indicated that, as of February 2022, there were some 129,000 unpaid fines, predominantly related to expired stickers. Those violations currently amount to $53 million and are included in the agency’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year as accounts receivable.

Typically, the agency generates between $80 and $90 million in annual revenue from electronic ticket payments. García also clarified that traffic fines issued by municipalities and the revenue from those tickets do not belong to the DTOP, and therefore the bill should include such a clarification in its language.