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Hi Keith,

today my vehicle was impounded at the Caldera check point.

My drivers license was expired and I totally have no problem with paying the boleta. I just spaced out about being up to snuff with my drivers license, because we just returned from out of the country and I had not realized it had expired in July,

What I do not get was that they towed the car to David. My husband or a friend could have driven the car home. We live in El Frances.

I went straight down to David to pay the boleta and renewed my drivers license. The boleta was $50. The police officer had told me it would be $25. To get the car out of the compound was $185.

Is there a list of tarifs for the offences? Or does the police not know what the fines are? Or do they make them up as they go?

What has the vehicle to do with my expired license? The car is registered in my husbands name, all paper work up to snuff.( they did not even look at it) If the car would have  no insurance or expired placa I could understand. 

I was done paying the fine and get a new license in under 3 hours. I could have picked the car up where it was parked at the Caldera junction. But the officer E.Rios (an older guy) told me it is the law and he cannnot change that.  He was somewhat condescending. Where does it say that they can seize the car when the license is expired?

In my humble opinion I think the impounding of the vehicles is a scam in most cases.

Do you have any insights you could please share???

Kind regards( the impounded)

Susanne Preuss

hi Susanne, in the absence of a licensed driver, the Police have the authority to tow the vehicle.

There is currently a crackdown taking place on all aspects of regulations, and it's happening all over the country, so don't feel persecuted.

The Officer probably didn't now the exact cost of the Boleto.

You might consider sharing your story and my response so that others can benefit from your experience.

regards, Keith

 

 

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Keith,

Interesting information based on close scrutiny of the photo collage. For instance, all were Panameña except one Ecuadorian. All were speeds over 100 KPH. All were violations in Chiriqui (4th zone, whatever that means). Different classes of driver licenses involved. There appears to be different cosmetics in the background designs of the licenses (or possibly the differences are because of a watermark in the photo collage itself).

Can you tell us what the differences between classes C, D, F and E3 licenses are?

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A = Bicycle

B = Motorcycle

C = Cars and Pickups

D = Light Trucks to 8 Tonnes and Buses up to 16 Passengers

E = Taxi

E1a = Tourism Transport

E2b = Buses up to 16 Passengers

E3c = Buses over 16 Passengers

F = Trucks over 8 Tonnes and Buses over 16 Passengers

G = Tractor Trailers

H = Vehicles Transporting Hazardous Material

I  =  Heavy Equipment

 

5a1ab73e51757_Screenshot-2017-11-26LicenciadeConducirPrimeraVezPanamTramita.thumb.png.2f93f8f3a804951a4f7d487106eb4899.png

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7 hours ago, Bud said:

4th zone, whatever that means

Zonificación policial de Panamá

1.ª. Zona Policial - Bocas del Toro

2.ª. Zona Policial - Coclé

3.ª. Zona Policial - Colón

4.ª. Zona Policial - Chiriquí

5.ª. Zona Policial - Panamá Este

6.ª. Zona Policial - Herrera

7.ª. Zona Policial - Los Santos

8.ª. Zona Policial - Oeste - 1ra. Región de Policía

Área Este

Área Oeste

9.ª. Zona Policial - Veraguas

10.ª. Zona Policial - Panamá Oeste

11.ª. Zona Policial - Zona del Canal de Panamá

12.ª. Zona Policial - San Miguelito

13.ª. Zona Policial - Arraiján

14.ª. Zona Policial - Norte- 2da. Región de Policía

15.ª. Zona Policial - Don Bosco - 1ra. Región de Policía

16.ª. Zona Policial - Pacora - 1ra. Región de Policía

17.ª. Zona Policial - Rufina Alfaro - 2da. Región de Policía

 

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On 11/24/2017 at 10:36 PM, Susanne said:

Hi Keith,

today my vehicle was impounded at the Caldera check point.

My drivers license was expired and I totally have no problem with paying the boleta. I just spaced out about being up to snuff with my drivers license, because we just returned from out of the country and I had not realized it had expired in July,

What I do not get was that they towed the car to David. My husband or a friend could have driven the car home. We live in El Frances.

I went straight down to David to pay the boleta and renewed my drivers license. The boleta was $50. The police officer had told me it would be $25. To get the car out of the compound was $185.

Is there a list of tarifs for the offences? Or does the police not know what the fines are? Or do they make them up as they go?

What has the vehicle to do with my expired license? The car is registered in my husbands name, all paper work up to snuff.( they did not even look at it) If the car would have  no insurance or expired placa I could understand. 

I was done paying the fine and get a new license in under 3 hours. I could have picked the car up where it was parked at the Caldera junction. But the officer E.Rios (an older guy) told me it is the law and he cannnot change that.  He was somewhat condescending. Where does it say that they can seize the car when the license is expired?

In my humble opinion I think the impounding of the vehicles is a scam in most cases.

Do you have any insights you could please share???

Kind regards( the impounded)

Susanne Preuss

hi Susanne, in the absence of a licensed driver, the Police have the authority to tow the vehicle.

There is currently a crackdown taking place on all aspects of regulations, and it's happening all over the country, so don't feel persecuted.

The Officer probably didn't now the exact cost of the Boleto.

You might consider sharing your story and my response so that others can benefit from your experience.

regards, Keith

 

 

Susanne, the police have the authority to tow the vehicle regardless of licensed drivers present or not. See: http://www.transito.gob.pa/costo-infracciones item #28. Pretty harsh I think.

My beef is that the transitos are not patrolling for drunks and speeders, which is a major public safety danger, but checking vehicle docs, which is not. Of course that is easier work and pays more.

The transitos could write tickets all day long in Boquete by the central park for illegal turns not indicated by the arrows on the pavement. But that is not a towable offense. Follow the money!

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Yeah, no kidding...I also think it is all about the money. They did not wait a beat to call for the tow truck. I suspect the police gets a share from them. Having a tow truck business must be the most lucrative business here. And they just towed another Panamanian car who did have some problems with his insurance papers. I get that, when they tow a car that is not insured...

 

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My husband had to take a breathalyzer test at the Caldera checkpoint.  Seems everybody was getting a check.

A neighbor had an accident in town and went off into a ditch. (?possibly on a sharp turn ).  His front axle was broken.  The vehicle was towed by the police department and impounded.  I believe the final amount he had to pay to get his car was a coupe of hundred dollars.  Why would a damaged vehicle in an accident like this be impounded?

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Quote

Of course that is easier work and pays more.   Follow the money!

2 hours ago, Susanne said:

Yeah, no kidding...I also think it is all about the money.  I suspect the police gets a share from them. Having a tow truck business must be the most lucrative business here.

Conspiracy theorists are everywhere, I guess.

Personally I'm happy to see enforcement of the transit regulations.

Edited by Keith Woolford
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Why would a damaged vehicle in an accident like this be impounded?

Police must have deemed the driver to be guilty of careless or impaired driving, or the Plate was expired, or some paperwork was not in order.

Sometimes folks don't always pass on the whole story, or they didn't understand what the Officer was telling them.

Edited by Keith Woolford
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39 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

Police must have deemed the driver to be guilty of careless or impaired driving, or the Plate was expired, or some paperwork was not in order.

Sometimes folks don't always pass on the whole story, or they didn't understand what the Officer was telling them.

Humm.....I doubt it was any of the above.  Elderly man, does not drink but on a rare occasion at home ( a beer now and then) .  His car has been in repair for an eternity from when a driver backed out of Romero into him.  Now I suppose it's possible his papers might have lapsed in that time but as i understand it He had all documents.  I'm really curious on this one and will get back when I get the details first hand from him. He's lived here over a decade..and pretty much knows the drill.  The story puzzles me.

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Personally I'm ok with enforcement of these documentation regulations, even if they are really more like a local fund raising effort.  What I still don't understand is why speeding and reckless driving are OK within and around Bajo Boquete -- up to at least 80+ mph in the early morning, with cars passing police vehicles and police motorcycles with no concern from said police, with no lights on at 6am, with passengers and students in these taxis and school busses.

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Dennis, I share your concern. I want the transitos on effective patrol, so I or you will have lessened risk of meeting up with an out of control speeder, drunk or cellphone user. Having them stationed at the Caldera checkpoint certainly doesn't help with any of these serious dangers.

However they do save money on gasoline, tires, depreciation and vehicle maintenance while being out of the weather under the overpass, making the department's budget look better, as an expense reduction.

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Pretty sure JF would agree that people who think it’s OK to speed, or ignore Stop signs, are often the same ones who think it’s OK to operate a vehicle with an invalid DL, out of date Plates, or expired insurance.

Spanking them financially tends to change the behavior of ignoring laws.

When people have concerns about speeders in a certain area they should advise the Mayors office. They seem receptive and if there are valid concerns the Mayor will pass them on in his weekly meeting with the Police.

Edited by Keith Woolford
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4 hours ago, Bonnie said:

 

I'm in the local pharmacies and Arrocha on a regular basis and have never seen them. Do you recall in what area?

 

Bonnie,

 

When I purchased my book five years ago the only store that stocked them in Boquete was Mandarin.  They were located in the back of store in a glass display case by the cash register.  It was $8 or $10 if I recall.  At that time I couldn't even find one on via Espana in Panama City in El Cangrejo other than an expanded much larger book including the history of Panama for $20.  I didn't want to lug that around in my glove compartment.

 

panama driving regulations book.JPG

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1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

Pretty sure JF would agree that people who think it’s OK to speed, or ignore Stop signs, are often the same ones who think it’s OK to operate a vehicle with an invalid DL, out of date Plates, or expired insurance.

Spanking them financially tends to change the behavior of ignoring laws.

When people have concerns about speeders in a certain area they should advise the Mayors office. They seem receptive and if there are valid concerns the Mayor will pass them on in his weekly meeting with the Police.

I can’t buy your logic on this one, Keith. If someone is fined for having an expired license or expired insurance,  he’ll be more likely to keep his license and insurance up to date, but I doubt that it’ll change other behaviors like speeding and running stop signs.

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Further on the matter of the "rules of the road" booklet discussed above, it turned out that my copy was not so current, being dated 2007, and so I felt it prudent to get a more current version of this booklet. We went to Supercentro Ivan yesterday, and upon asking for the book (in Spanish, but the clerk responded in English) I was directed to an area about ten feet to the left of the check out stand. There they were. That book cost $8.00, and it includes a copy of the also required accident report form. After my purchase, I counted 14 more copies being available.

Here is a scan of the cover the current version (note that it is labeled as the 2018 edition):

reglamentos_Page_1.jpg.205d078ce225fe40458920602198c5dd.jpg

 

And here is the accident report form:

reglamentos_Page_2.thumb.jpg.e0eeac052ce0b9a566353825965eb467.jpg

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Okay, both Bonnie and Bud brought up the publication dates, I've got a 2011 edition and it appears that there's a 2018 edition available. 

 

The $64,000 question.....

 

What's the law if any regarding what edition you must carry in your vehicle?  Are there any penalties for possessing old editions?

 

I would suspect that Mr. Woolford knows or can obtain that answer.

 

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  • Admin_01 changed the title to Impounding of Vehicles, and Documentation Requirements While Driving

I’m thinking Keith will provide an answer. 

My question is:  do I understand that you wouldn’t pay the $8.00 for a recent edition of a drivers rule book and risk a towing charge for your vehicle?  

Just wondering.

 

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Although there may be some new diagrams or graphics in later "editions",  I believe the Reglamentos de Transito now are the same as 2007.

http://www.transito.gob.pa/sites/default/files/reglamento_decreto_640.pdf

By the way, I have never heard of anyone being fined or towed for the lack of a Manual, but I guess there's always a first time.

 

 

 

 

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