The Federal Motor Transport Directorate (DGAF) is working on installing dynamic arches to enforce weight and dimension regulations, simplifying and digitizing procedures, and implementing new legislation to increase safety on the country’s roads, among other initiatives.

“In the case of the arches, all the actions are aimed at improving safety and operating conditions,” said Luis Ruiz Hernández, head of the DGAF.

During his participation in Dialogues with Engineers , held by the College of Civil Engineers of Mexico (CICM) , he indicated that in the case of weights and dimensions with the arches, the corresponding sanctions will be established for those who exceed the limits.

“A schedule similar to the one for photo tickets will be sent to each permit holder, with the penalties, but the goal is not to impose fines, but rather to prevent them from incurring these types of penalties,” he commented.

He specified that around 250 thousand inspections are carried out on roads each year and with these arches, which they plan to start with Caminos y Puentes Federales (Capufe) , they will help with license plate recognition, measuring speed, dimensions and weight of units, as well as verifying standard 012 , which establishes the maximum weight and measurement limits that motor transport vehicles must comply with.

Juan José Orozco, vice president of the CICM Board of Directors , said it is essential to sanction anyone who violates these regulations or circulates without the corresponding technical verification.

“In many countries, we’ve seen authorities using satellite and GPS tracking systems that allow real-time monitoring of routes, speeds, and operating times. These technological tools enable automatic fines and sanctions that can lead to the revocation of permits or the suspension of licenses for those who fail to comply with regulations,” he stated.

He commented that excessive weight and dimensions not only jeopardize vehicle stability, but also cause serious damage to the infrastructure, impacting road maintenance and upkeep costs by 15% to 30% or more .

“With the information obtained from these arches, more reliable analyses could be made of the cost overruns that society ultimately pays,” he explained.

He also noted that they are working on a training standard for this activity , not just for the handling of gas pipe devices, and that they will therefore apply the Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA) model “since it yields good results.”

Likewise, Luis Ruiz Hernández mentioned that, in the case of the transportation of dangerous cargo, such as natural gas, in conjunction with the Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment (ASEA) and the Ministry of Energy (Sener) , speeding will now be treated as a safety violation and sanction in operation and industry.

He stated that, in coordination with Capufe and concessionaires, they are analyzing the improvements that need to be made to the toll booths , because they are overcrowded and their collection design is obsolete.

“We need to incorporate design and technology, because we don’t have to wait to make payments when they can be done automatically. The same goes for ports and customs. What’s being done? Technology to streamline processes,” he emphasized.

They are also working on simplifying procedures and digitizing them, although this final stage will not begin until 2026, with the support of the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency .

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El cargo This is the DGAF’s plan to increase safety on Mexico’s roads. apareció primero en T21.

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) announced that it is working with Federal Roads and Bridges (Capufe) on a study to identify which infrastructure needs improvements, and that they will also seek to implement electronic devices, called tags, to speed up crossings .

“We are studying those booths that have the longest waiting lines, whether for expansion or operation, to increase the number of operators working or even an action that we want to reinforce is to make everything through tags, so that cash payment is at least,” explained Jesús Esteva, head of the department.

He also said that he had asked the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) to participate in order to provide information on which toll booths could have this type of technology.

During his meeting with the College of Civil Engineers of Mexico (CICM) to present the National Infrastructure Program , he explained that one of the highways that present problems with long lines is the Mexico-Querétaro highway, among others.

Without giving further details, he said that this program will be carried out throughout the year and is expected to be extended to other roads in the country, “we are doing tests and it is a matter of understanding the users, there will be those who do not have a way to recharge the tag and we will have to see who will pay with cash.”

Mexico-Querétaro Train

Likewise, Esteva justified the increase in investment for the construction of the Mexico-Querétaro train, which went from 75 billion pesos to 144 billion 99 million 779 thousand pesos, due to various modifications to the project .

“We start with a plan, with a conceptual project, and once we begin to define the right-of-way release, operating conditions, soil complexity, etc., there may be adjustments, and we are at that point. In reality, the base budgets are made based on cost parameters that are referenced from other works.”

He pointed out that this happened in the Nichupté bridge construction, due to the construction conditions that were diverse and “we have to do the works to finish them, as was also the case with the Mexico-Toluca train.”

National Infrastructure Program

Regarding the National Infrastructure Program, he recalled that in terms of roads, during this six-year term the investment will be 173 thousand 445.5 million pesos , plus the investment of 118 thousand 470 million pesos in the priority axes, in addition to five thousand 986 million pesos for the region of Oaxaca, among other projects.

He said that they will also be working on the publication of a new aeronautical policy in which they will seek to strengthen infrastructure and its services, use renewable energy, strengthen staff through training, and continue to comply with international standards, to name a few.

Meanwhile, private groups and the federal government will invest more than 117 billion pesos in improving various airports.

Regarding the railway industry, he reiterated the construction of more than three thousand kilometers of tracks for passenger trains, including the extension of the train to AIFA, AIFA-Pachuca, Mexico-Querétaro, Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo and Querétaro-Irapuato.

In addition, they will also build 18 high schools in different states of the country and Rosario Castellanos Universities and a comprehensive plan for 10 municipalities of the State of Mexico, which includes public transportation, road infrastructure, urban equipment and solid waste management, among other actions.

As well as actions to increase and reinforce road safety, incorporation of technology in weights and dimensions, operations and coordination with the main road transport chambers.

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El cargo SICT promises to improve Capufe’s infrastructure and toll booths apareció primero en T21.