Cancun has easily become one of the most connected areas in the Mexican Caribbean in the past few years.
More recently, the addition of Maya Train has meant that traveling in and around the popular tourist destination is easier than ever, allowing tourists to experience all the marvellous treats that the area and its surroundings offer.
As connected as it has become with public transport services, some tourists still opt for hiring a car when vacationing in Cancun, perhaps due to convenience for larger families and groups to travel together.
Local authorities have just announced that 14,000 tourist cards will be issued to Cancun, and will allow visitors to make two traffic violations before being fined.
More Info On The New Tourist Cards
The tourist card has been reintroduced in the hope of decreasing the number of complaints by international visitors who receive fines when they don’t follow traffic procedures in the Mexican Caribbean.
Originally introduced in Cancun by Benito Juarez City Council for nine years, the card was suspended until last December, where it was temporarily brought back into use.
Having only been in effect since the end of last year, over 5,000 tickets have been used during the winter season – a notoriously busy time for international visitors to vacation in Cancun and Quintana Roo.
Officials are planning to launch 14,000 cards of which 5,000 will be given out during the spring vacation period, set to be the next busiest time in the Mexican Caribbean.
What seems to have been a success so far, the tourist card may begin to be rolled out in other popular areas and states in the Yucatan Peninsula, in the hope to further reduce the number of complaints related to traffic fines.
However, no new area has been confirmed thus far.
What Does The Tourist Card Do?
Driving in a new area, especially while on vacation, can be slightly daunting if you are not used to it.
If Spanish is not your first language, following road signs and parking information in the Mexican Caribbean may be slightly trickier, and can often cause fines to occur without tourists realizing that they are making a mistake.
The tourist card is a document that can be used by international and national visitors when making an unintentional, non-serious traffic violation, to reduced fines and complaints overall.
Each tourist that rents a vehicle while vacationing in Cancun has the opportunity to appeal two violations, which must be confirmed by traffic officers as none-serious offenses.
Things like parking in disability spaces, driving under the influence, or causing road accidents would not be forgiven under the tourist card documents.
Alma Reynoso, councillor of the Security Commission of the city of Benito Juarez stated, “The cards have been a success with the Imoveqroo work being done in all municipalities”.
If you are looking for more information, be sure to ask the rental company when hiring the car about the new tourist card, and general advice when driving in your chosen area.
Is Driving Not For You?
Of course, if driving is just not your idea of a peaceful vacation, then you can skip the worry of potential parking and traffic fines altogether by choosing to travel a different way in the Mexican Caribbean.
The Maya Train is currently running fro Palenque, Chiapas through Cancun, with a new route set to reach Playa del Carmen this week.
This new, state-of-the-art transport system has been running for only a couple of months, and it’s popularity is growing by the second.
Enabling tourists to reach popular archaeological sites, ‘magical towns’, cenotes, adventure parks and even Cancun Airport(all for an extremely affordable price), you should definitely check it out.
For the areas and routes which the Maya Train has not yet began operations, the popular tourist bus service ADO will allow you reach places like the upcoming, trendy destination of Tulum, which has its own set of tantalising tourist attractions that will make you never want to come home.
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Sergio
Friday 1st of March 2024
This is absolut nonsense. Tourists and locals alike should have accountability for their actions. If you commit a traffic violation, you should be fined. The only person responsible for such violations is the person behind the wheel. What's next tourist being enabled to commit crime and being waived for their responsibility?