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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