Cortázar: "Photo-tickets will help to improve the transportation system"

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SANTIAGO.- Following strong objections expressed by several mayors in the Greater Santiago area with regards to a proposal to install a photo-ticket system to fine drivers that circulate within the lanes that have been designated to be only for Transantiago buses, the Minister of Transportation, René Cortázar, has stated that the objective of the initiative is not to provoke more traffic fines, but rather to help improve the transportation system.

Cortázar justified his decision by saying, "we have come to this stage in which we need to simply modernize the system and regulate a type of supervision that has a very simple objective: to ensure that buses can circulate faster and that people can arrive at their jobs and to their classes more quickly", Cortázar told Radio ADN.

The minister stressed that the new measure is important in order to make sure that drivers respect the space that has been designated for use only by buses, which will reduce traffic jams and travel time within downtown Santiago.

Cortázar warned that the Ministry has "no interest in issuing tickets, what we want is that people respect the measure so that buses can move faster and the supervision needed is as minimal as possible. We are not interested in handing out fines, what we want is for the transportation system to function better".