SICT announces new sanctions for those who block roads and hijack toll booths

The penalties for those who take toll booths and ask for money will range from 3 months to 7 years in prison and fines of 9,000 to 48,000 pesos.

(MEXICO – SICT).- The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) announced new measures approved by the Mexican Congress against whoever hijacks toll booths, closes or obstructs federal highways and violates free transit regulations.

The federal agency announced the new punitive sanctions in the Reform to the Law of General Communication Channels and it has been published in the Official Gazette of the Federation. The sanction goes up to seven years in prison for this type of action on federal highways.

The decree establishes sanctions for those who damage the roads or interrupt the operation of toll booth services, sanctions and penalties that came into force this Wednesday, February 23.

The federal agency notified that the changes made to the Law of General Communication Routes in article 533 establishes: “Those who damage, harm or destroy general communication routes, or means of transport, or interrupt the construction of roads, interrupt the transit of the means of transport or the operation of the toll services.

The sanction will apply to whoever totally or partially interrupt or deteriorate the other services that operate in the general communication routes or the means of transport, a sanction of three months to seven years in prison and a fine of 100 to 500 times the daily value of the Unit of Measurement and Update will be imposed.

Persistently organized crime groups, as well as teacher and student groups close to the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) have made it a condition to close highways, seize toll booths and railways to pressure state and federal governments to respond to your whims and requirements.

According to data from Coparmex, the country annually loses about 35 billion pesos due to road closures in demonstrations and rallies, delays and loss of products, in addition to external charges and abuses by criminal groups and politicians who use the roads to suffocate food production and harm the population.

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