Ilegal races – Finance Colombia https://www.financecolombia.com Connecting Colombia to the global capital markets, analysts, economists, investors, and executives that matter Sun, 06 Oct 2024 14:19:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.financecolombia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cropped-Favicon-32x32.png Ilegal races – Finance Colombia https://www.financecolombia.com 32 32 Municipal Buses Impounded in Medellín After Drivers Caught Drag Racing https://www.financecolombia.com/municipal-buses-impounded-in-medellin-after-drivers-caught-drag-racing/ Sun, 06 Oct 2024 14:19:19 +0000 https://www.financecolombia.com/?p=31054 Illegal bus races the night of September 15 sparked outrage in Medellín after a public video showed two public service vehicles turning the streets of the Naranjal neighborhood, near the Makro, Jumbo and Homecenter stores at the intersection of Ave. San Juan and 65th Avenue, into a racetrack.

Local authorities activated the Medellín Emergency and Security System (SIESM in Spanish) to identify the two vehicles and track them using LPR (license plate recognition) cameras. Thanks to these efforts, one of the drivers was located, not only to sanction him, but also to impound his bus.One of the buses is affiliated with the company Conducciones América S.A., with a route to the Cristóbal neighborhood, while the other is from the special services company Rutas Verde y Blanco. They were competing in a short stretch of less than 1 kilometer.

The drag race infuriated among others, Medellín’s Mayor, Federico Gutierrez, also known as FICO, because of the recurring loss of life due to illegal races in metropolitan Medellín.Medellín’s mayor, Federico Gutiérrez, addressed the public through his X account, stating the following:

“One of the buses involved in this illegal race was identified through cameras from 123, intercepted, immobilized, and the driver sanctioned. The lives of people on the streets are our priority, which is why we have zero tolerance for these behaviors.”
The President of the Transport Association of the Aburrá Valley also denounced this activity in an interview with local media, saying that: “These are clandestine activities not authorized by the companies. We are authorized by the Secretariat of Mobility (…) for routes to provide public transportation from one point to another, and we cannot use the buses for anything else.”

The organizers of bus event defended their actions

Through a media release, the organizers of this event, called “Tomatón“, explained the purpose of the gathering, stating that it was only intended to take photographs and videos. The document describes the event as one where vehicle owners, transportation enthusiasts, and bus fans gather to create photo and video content for social media. Additionally, it states that: ‘We apologize in advance for this incident.

However, in the media release, the event organizers also criticized the media’s attitude, stating that there were no passengers during the race and that the buses were not in commercial operation. According to them, the media narrative harms both drivers and owners.

If you observe illegal races or any other prohibited activities, you can report them by calling the 123 hotline to contact local police.

]]>