Colombia’s New Traffic Code Halves Fines and Takes Aim at Speed Cameras
COLOMBIA · POLICY
Key Facts
—What happened: President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered a new Colombia traffic code that cuts some fines by up to 50 percent.
—How big: Watchdogs are investigating more than 7.5 million camera-issued fines; 5.8 million unpaid ones could be cancelled.
—The real story: Municipalities have collected about COP 11.9 trillion (US$3.75 billion) in traffic fines over two decades.
—The catch: Nothing is law yet; the bill needs Congress, and cheaper fines mean less money for city halls.
—Second front: Banks proposed re-banking five million adults to pull customers away from illegal “gota a gota” lenders.
—What comes next: Transport Minister Elsa Noguera drafts the bill; the banking plan heads into the next National Development Plan.
President Abelardo de la Espriella wants a new Colombia traffic code that halves some fines and puts speed cameras under tight control. Separately, the country’s banks have proposed a public-private plan to re-bank millions and squeeze out illegal “gota a gota” moneylenders.
What the new Colombia traffic code changes for drivers
The announcement came at a Council of Ministers meeting in Barranquilla. De la Espriella told Transport Minister Elsa Noguera to draft a new Colombia traffic code and send it to Congress.
His argument is simple. Fines have become a financial burden out of proportion to household incomes, and the state should not use traffic rules as a permanent collection machine.
The draft would cut some fine tariffs by up to 50 percent. Driving licences would become cheaper to issue and would remain valid for longer.
The mandatory courses that let offenders earn a discount on their fines would cost 25 percent less. The government also wants lower fees for tow trucks and impound yards, known locally as grúas and patios.
Vehicle inspections will be reviewed as well. The plan is to restore six years of exemption for new cars, after an earlier change cut it to five.
Finally, the government will audit the two databases every driver knows. RUNT is the national vehicle registry, and SIMIT is the system where unpaid fines accumulate and block paperwork.
The speed-camera business is already under investigation
The sharpest edge of the new Colombia traffic code points at the cameras. Colombians call the automated tickets fotomultas, and they have become a business worth billions.
The Superintendencia de Transporte, the sector’s watchdog, is investigating 37 transit agencies. The files cover more than 7.5 million camera-issued fines.
Of those, 1,582,398 had already been paid. They brought in more than COP 1.05 trillion, about US$331 million.
Another 5,832,906 fines remain unpaid. Many could lose their validity automatically where irregularities are proven.
The agencies involved could face sanctions above COP 2.1 trillion, roughly US$662 million. Twelve allegedly began operating without the required technical approval, and 18 obtained it only after they had started.
Senator Gustavo Moreno, a long-time critic, calls the system a round and nefarious business. He says Colombia has about 751 photo cameras and that 1.4 million fotomultas were issued in three years.
His figures come from his own complaints and still need verification. The watchdog’s investigation, by contrast, is an official administrative proceeding.
Why city halls will fight the reform
Money explains the resistance. The Colombian Federation of Municipalities reports that traffic fines raised about COP 11.9 trillion (US$3.75 billion) through December 2024.
About COP 3.96 trillion (US$1.25 billion) flowed through SIMIT. Transit authorities collected another COP 7.94 trillion (US$2.5 billion) directly.
Cut tariffs in half, and that income shrinks. Every mayor who budgets with fine revenue will lobby against the bill in Congress.
Bogotá offers the counter-argument that cameras can work. Speed fines there fell from 676,803 in 2023 to 302,035 in 2025, and accidents in camera zones dropped 15 percent.
That is the distinction the new Colombia traffic code will have to draw. A camera justified by accident data and properly calibrated saves lives, while a camera installed to maximise tickets is a tax in disguise.
The banks’ plan to kill the gota a gota
The second story of the week comes from Cartagena, where the banking association Asobancaria held its 60th annual convention. Its president, Jonathan Malagón, used the closing speech to propose a national re-banking offensive.
The target is the gota a gota, the drop-by-drop loan. It is illegal street lending with extortionate daily interest and, often, violent collection.
About one in five Colombians still turns to informal lenders, according to Asobancaria data. More than 200,000 families remain trapped in such loans, the magazine C-Level reported this week.
The latest Financial Inclusion Report counts 20.3 million adults with at least one formal credit product, or 51.6 percent of the adult population. Malagón wants that share at 75 percent.
That means growing from 20 million to 30 million adults with formal credit. Half of that jump, five million people, could happen quickly with joint public-private strategies, he said.
Every formal loan is a customer taken from the gota a gota, Malagón argued. He proposed a re-banking commission inside the next National Development Plan and a consolidation of state credit guarantees.
He also asked the government to change how the usury rate is calculated. The current cap, set under Decree 2555 of 2010, pushes riskier borrowers out of the formal system and into the hands of loan sharks.
What to watch from here
The first test is the bill itself. Noguera’s ministry must turn a speech in Barranquilla into legal text, and that text must survive Congress.
Watch whether camera transparency rules make it into the draft. Publication of contracts, calibration certificates and per-camera revenue would end the worst abuses faster than any tariff cut.
For the banking plan, the test is the National Development Plan now being prepared. If the re-banking commission appears in it, the gota a gota will face its first coordinated attack in years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did President de la Espriella announce about traffic fines?
He ordered a new Colombia traffic code that cuts some fine tariffs by up to 50 percent, makes driving licences cheaper and longer-lasting, and reduces the cost of discount courses by 25 percent.
Why are Colombia’s speed cameras controversial?
The transport watchdog is investigating 37 transit agencies over more than 7.5 million camera-issued fines. Paid fines in those files raised over COP 1.05 trillion (US$331 million), and 5.8 million unpaid fines could be cancelled.
How much money do Colombian municipalities make from traffic fines?
The Colombian Federation of Municipalities reports about COP 11.9 trillion (US$3.75 billion) collected through December 2024, split between the SIMIT system and direct collection by transit authorities.
What is the gota a gota?
It is illegal drop-by-drop street lending with extortionate daily interest and often violent collection. About one in five Colombians uses informal lenders, and over 200,000 families are trapped in such loans.
What are the banks proposing to fight illegal lending?
Asobancaria president Jonathan Malagón proposed a public-private plan to raise adults with formal credit from 20.3 million to 30 million. It includes a commission in the next National Development Plan, unified state guarantees and a new usury-rate formula.
Sources & Connected Coverage
Sources: Rio Grande, “Con reforma al Código de Tránsito el negocio de las fotomultas llegaría a su fin”, 30 August 2026; Caracol Radio, “Proponen programa público-privado de rebancarización para combatir el gota a gota”, 28 August 2026; Asobancaria, 60th Banking Convention, Cartagena, 26–28 August 2026. More from the country on our Colombia hub.
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