A reform of article 86 of the Traffic Law on Land Roads and Road Safety would limit and reduce the possibility for domestic and foreign tourists to engage in adventure activities that include driving motorcycles and ATVs.
This was warned by the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) in a note sent to the heads of parliamentary fractions.
The bill completely eliminated a paragraph authorizing licensees of type B-1 to drive non-primary roads bicycles and motorcycles of internal combustion, with an engine capacity that does not exceed 125 cubic centimeters, and 11 kilowatts for those with electric motors or hybrids.
Said paragraph also allows driving AT-type motorcycles, whose engine capacity does not exceed 500 cubic centimeters.
Article 91 of the law allows the homologation of foreign drivers’ licenses for tourist drivers to drive the same type of vehicle they drive in their country. Eliminating this paragraph reduces the possibility for tourists to purchase adventure services on motorcycle or ATV and, in addition, they are exposed to fines,”
said CANATUR president, Pablo Heriberto Abarca Mora.
The reform was approved in first reading by the Legislative Assembly on January 30th.
According to Abarca, it is worrisome because
the issue would be completely at the discretion of the authority and could lead to subjective interpretations by the traffic officers in determining if the driver of one of those vehicles is a tourist or not.”