Traffic cops are on the prowl for Jalisco-plated vehicles being driven without 2011 emissions test stickers.
Only 40 percent of the 2.7 million vehicles registered in the state were taken for an obligatory smog inspection last year.
With air pollution rising in the metropolitan area, traffic authorities are determined to clamp down on drivers who ignore this important environmental regulation.
The smog checks are done on a vehicle’s exhaust system to determine amount and type of pollutants it emits. They must be carried out any of the 700-plus officially accredited garages and workshops in the state (see http://siga.jalisco.gob.mx/ramasp/listadotalleres.htm for a complete list). Most will issue the sticker free of charge after carrying out a routine tune up. A test on its own carries a nominal fee.
Since mid-January, Transito officers have been busy pulling over vehicles and issuing tickets to any they find without 2011 stickers. The fine is 1,168 pesos but this will be waived if the car owner gets a smog check within the following 15 days.
Under the program, known as the Program de Control de Emisiones or Verificacion Vehicular, all private vehicles with plates ending in 1 must have a check by the end of January. The numbers follow in successive months: 2 for February, 3 for March, etcetera. Even if the vehicle has a 2011 sticker, traffic cops can issue tickets to vehicles without an appropriate sticker for this year. Vehicles, however, can be taken for testing at any time of the year.
Although the inspection program covers the entire state, the vast majority of fines are being issued within the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
In the past, traffic cops in provincial towns, such as Chapala and Puerto Vallarta, have rarely issued tickets for vehicles being driven without anti-contamination stickers, although legally they have the power to do so.
Exemptions include out-of-state and foreign-plated vehicles, which cannot be slapped with fines for not having a sticker. However, they may be removed from circulation if they are deemed to be “visibly contaminating.” Last year more than 4,500 vehicles were towed for polluting.
Unlike in some U.S. states, a smog inspection is not required for registration (refrendo) renewal in the state of Jalisco.
For more information on the smog inspection program visit www.semades.gob.mx.