Supertransporter to investigate dealer who demanded fire truck to pay tolls

The Superintendency of Transport opened an administrative investigation and filed a statement of charges against the firm Concay S.A., as the concessionaire of the 'Concessionación Troncal del Tequendama' highway project and, against Opeinvías S.A.S., as operator of the toll 'El nuevo salto del Tequendama', for demanding a vehicle of the volunteer firefighters of Soacha, paid the toll on his way to attend an emergency in the hospital Nuestra Señora, in the municipality of Mesitas del Colegio in Cundinamarca.

The events occurred on February 10, 2020 and, apparently, the fire brigade was required to pay the toll or the electronic identification card (TIE) to exempt them from it, ignoring that these types of vehicles are exempt from charging these fees in accordance with the law.

For this reason, statements of objections were issued because after preliminary inquiries it was established that, after preliminary inquiries, they ignored the regulations that exempt vehicles such as firefighters and ambulances from paying any tolls, which, in the end, are instruments to protect fundamental rights.

For the official, the rigidity of how this case was handled is with the minimum diligence if one takes into account that, apparently, from this point where the toll is located, one could visualize the fire emergency in the hospital in Mesitas. In addition, it was thanks to the solidarity of a user, who paid the toll, that the fire vehicle managed to continue its journey.

If found responsible, both Concay S.A. concay S.A. and the operator Openinvias S.A.S. could be punished with fines of up to 700 statutory minimum wages in force.

After a Sabaneta Fire Department vehicle received a pickaxe and license plate fine for being mobilized in Medellín, the Mobility Secretariat finally reversed the decision and withdrew the fine.

In a statement, last Saturday, March 5, the fire brigade said that “the events occurred around 9:33 in the morning of last Wednesday, February 16, when the van was traveling through the junction of 10th Street with Carrera 40th, in the El Poblado sector, and was captured by a photomint camera that generated the breach”.

“From the Sabanera Volunteer Fire Department we communicated directly with the Medellín Mobility Secretariat, where they indicated that the due process required by the owners of vehicles sanctioned by the infringement must be followed,” the document highlights.

In addition, they added: “Or will we be forced to pay for a restriction that should not be imposed on us? Or will we have to wait for the passage of the peak and plate from now on to attend to the emergencies that we have to attend to? ”.

The vehicle was sanctioned for “transit through restricted places or at times prohibited by the competent authority” and was left with the warning of being immobilized.

KEEP READING: