Chapala’s municipal Traffic Department has initiated enforcement of the local transit code, with 45 tickets issued during the first week since the regulations took effect on March 11.
So far, most of the sanctions were related to parking violations in Chapala proper, local authorities report.
Officers also cracked down on out-of-town visitors during the March 16 to 18 extended holiday weekend, ordering tow trucks to haul off vehicles parked on sidewalks, blocking the front of private garages and illegally occupying spaces reserved for the handicapped in both Chapala and Ajijic.
According to the regulatory code, fines are calculated in multiples of the national Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA) based on the current minimum wage. Charges range from as little as one UMA (equivalent to 84.49 pesos at the 2019 rate) for minor offenses such as driving vehicles with missing bumpers or windshield wipers, to as much as 20 UMAs (1,689.80 pesos) for DUI, and 100 UMAS (8,449 pesos) for providing public transportation services without a permit. The cost may be doubled in the case of repeat offenses.
Tickets may be paid at the cashier windows in the Chapala City Hall lobby, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weekends, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A 50-percent discount will be applied for payment within five days of the ticket’s issuance, reduced to 25 percent within six to 14 days. If fines are paid at state recaudadoras (tax offices), the state keeps a 15-percent cut of the amount due.