With his winning smile and sincere desire to master spoken English, lakeside’s newly appointed traffic office commandant Hector Magaña Rios has all the makings of strong ally for expatriate motorists.
Yet behind his friendly demeanor lie the signs of a firm task master who is committed to strict enforcement of the rules of the road and tackling the area’s most nagging traffic problems.
Under orders of Jalisco’s Secretaria de Vialidad y Transporte (SVT), Magaña assumed command of the agency’s lakeside branch on March 1. He relieved Reynaldo Martinez Villanueva, who has returned to regular duty after a two-month stint as interim office chief.
Magaña comes aboard after a decade of SVT service that has taken him to posts all across the state. Based on his experience on a three-month tour of duty at lakeside in 2009, he is already quite familiar with lakeside’s special needs as a popular haven for both foreign retirees and Mexican tourists.
“I know that the language barrier is a major problem for foreigners. That’s why I have been studying English so I might better serve them,” he told the Reporter this week.
In his short time on the job the chief says he has already observed some elderly expat drivers execute illegal and sometimes highly risky highway maneuvers that have raised his concern.
“In their countries of origin foreigners tend to be careful drivers who respect the law. I would ask them to do the same here. We’re not living some kind of perpetual fiesta here. No one is exempt from accidents,” he remarked in a tacit warning against throwing caution to the wind or thinking that rules can be bent at a whim.
By the same token, Magaña extends an open invitation for expatriate residents to approach him directly about problems, complaints and suggestions they would like him to take into consideration. “I’m not always immediately available, but interested parties are welcome to leave their names and telephone numbers with the office secretary. We’ll get back to you to set up an appointment.”During his first two weeks of duty, Magaña has spent a lot of time away from his desk to get a solid fix on prevailing traffic and road conditions throughout the area. His broad jurisdiction stretches between the municipalities of Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, Chapala, Jocotepec and over to Tuxcueca on the south shore.
He has already taken account of the problems regarding traffic signs and roadway markings, such as the lack of clear designation of pedestrian crossways and no-parking zones. One of his first orders to SVT personnel was the repair of faulty stoplights along the Chapala-Jocotepec corridor carried out over the past week.
And he has already initiated dialogues with Chapala’s mayor, police chief and civil protection captain to identify prevalent danger spots on local thoroughfares. “We will be working hand-in-hand to implement preventive measures and increase vigilance at points where accidents occur most frequently,” he says.
Another of the commandant’s safety tactics will be a crackdown on speeding violations and drunk driving, considered as major factors in serious highway accidents. He plans to attack those issues by implementing radar speed traps and random check points, warning that such traffic controls may pop up “at any time and any place.” The filters will also help traffic agents detect persons who may be driving without proper driver or vehicle permits or engaging in perilous practices such as talking on cell phones while behind the wheel, riding without fastening seat belts or carrying children not properly buckled into car seats.
Magaña says he will also take a tough stance on traffic laws that apply to motorcycles and ATVs, including license plate registration, driver permit requisites and obligatory use of helmets.
“I urge all motorists to comply with traffic laws and obey the indications of traffic officers. If you get caught by surprise in violation, it’s your responsibility,” he says, stressing, “My main interest is not to apply sanctions, but to encourage motorists to obey the law for everyone’s safety.”
On a side note, Magaña revealed that driver permit issuance at the lakeside has been suspended temporarily, pending the repair of computer equipment. For a status report or other pertinent information, visit SVT regional headquarters at Hidalgo 92, located on the south side of the highway in Riberas del Pilar or call 765-4747. Regular office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.