Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval replaced his transportation secretary this week, giving his new man a single month to put in place measures designed to end corruption in the Secretaria de Movilidad.
Given the decades of entrenched corruption within the agency, such a task might be considered impossible.
But new “Transito” Director Servando Sepulveda is well known to the governor as a reliable “enforcer” — he served as Sandoval’s police chief during his term as Guadalajara mayor.
Sepulveda begins his job facing a long list of pressing issues plaguing the state Transportation Department.
In addition to rampant corruption, high on that list will be the continuing task of renovating the city’s bus network. Citizens’ groups say many changes agreed by Sandoval last year have yet to be implemented. These include the introduction of a pre-paid/electronic bus ticketing system, replacing outdated buses, improving the habits of drivers and reducing pedestrian deaths.
Several NGOs dedicated to promoting non-motorized transport criticized the appointment this week, noting that Sepulveda has zero experience in transit matters.
Sepulveda has not been employed since heading up the Guadalajara public security force because, reports suggested, he has refused to take the “confidence test” that is obligatory for public figures serving in jobs related to security. He has apparently since taken and passed the exam.