The obligation to install speed limiters is in force, but its implementation continues to generate differences between the authorities and the transportation sector. While business owners maintain that the device will not solve road accidents on its own, the General Directorate of Transport insists that the regulations must be complied with.
Luis Gómez Chin, representative of the Union of Short Routes for Passenger Transportassured that the sector must comply with the regulations, although he questioned the quality of the available equipment and maintained that the problem of accidents responds mainly to the conduct of the pilots. For this reason, he insisted on strengthening inspection, GPS monitoring and road controls, instead of focusing the strategy on speed limiters.
He maintains reservations about its effectiveness. “Not agreeing with a law does not mean that we do not comply with it; we have to comply with it,” he said.
He added that the installation is progressing gradually, but maintained that many of the equipment available on the market is of low quality and “once placed and ruined, it will mean that compliance (…) is not fully executed as the standard expects.”
He explained that, according to the reports received by the union, in the department of Guatemala there are about 1,800 units, of which around 800 or 900 already have the device. However, he indicated that about 300 have presented installation or operation problems, mainly due to overloads in the electrical system caused by the solenoid valve that the system uses.
The leader insisted that the speed limiter does not solve the underlying problem of accidents. “Accidents (…) are a function of human incompetence, not due to incapacity or age of the units,” he stated. For this reason, he pointed out that the sector has proposed that a GPS system be required to monitor the units and that the authorities strengthen the supervision of drivers. “What is greatly needed is operator control,” he emphasized.
The debate on limiters coincides with an increase in road accidents nationwide. According to him National Traffic Safety Observatory (Onset)traffic events —which include different types of vehicles— They increased 9.9% between January and mid-June of this year compared to the same period in 2025.
The figures show that, although public transport represents only a part of road accidents, incidents persist, according to Onset. The report also records the participation of 1,156 cars, 450 pick-ups, 446 buses, 383 trucks and 190 heads in traffic events.
Cargo questions the system
Along the same lines, Héctor Fajardo, general director of the Chamber of Central American Transporters (Catransca), which makes up the other sector, cargo, stated that the sector is not opposed to respecting speed limits, but to the mechanism established to do so.
“It is not that we do not agree with reducing the speed, we do not agree with using a mechanism that is not effective,” he stated.
“Yes we want to avoid traffic incidents, we do want the maximum speed to be respected, but we must work not on the reducer as such, but on other aspects that are more effective for compliance with the maximum speed,” he indicated.
Both maintain their reservations about the use of speed limiters due to the effectiveness of the system.
Shortage
Fajardo indicated that, although the obligation remains in force and companies are advancing in the installation of electronic configurations or devices, the process faces difficulties due to the shortage of equipment and the limited capacity of the authorities to certify a fleet of around 300 thousand vehicles.
In addition, he maintained that tests carried out by the sector show that speed limiters do not work on downhill slopes, which is why they consider that they represent an expense that does not meet the objective of preventing accidents.
He added that the devices have a cost of between Q2,500 and Q4,000, although their import has been limited due to uncertainty about possible changes to the regulations.
The director of Catransca also stated that the sanctions should be directed at the driver who exceeds the speed, and not at the vehicle for lacking the limiter certificate, considering that it is the driver who has control of driving.
Among other factors that, in his opinion, affect road accidents, he mentioned the poor condition of the roads, potholes, mounds, landslides, municipal restrictions on heavy transportation, weather conditions and insufficient road infrastructure.
Sanctions and low certification
However, the General Directorate of Transportation (DGT) reiterated that the obligation remains in force and that there is currently no reform under discussion to modify the regulations. The institution indicated that it maintains permanent operations throughout the country to verify the operation of the Speed Limiting System and apply the corresponding sanctions when non-compliance is detected.
As a result of these actions, between March 2 and June 24, the DGT imposed 118 fines for not having the Speed Limiting System, of which 112 were for public transportation and six for freight transportation. In that same period, it carried out 23 operations, during which it inspected 593 units.
According to the DGT, 2,151 extra-urban buses have a certificate of system functionality, compared to a universe of 43,803 units registered with the SAT, which represents less than 5% of the fleet. In cargo transportation, 23,386 vehicles have the certificate, out of a fleet of 221,305, equivalent to just around 11%.
The penalty for failing to comply with this obligation amounts to Q20 thousand 11.40.
They ask to comply with the law
The businessmen’s position contrasts with that of deputy Jairo Flores, from the Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (VOS) group, who maintains that the discussion should not focus on the convenience of the device, but on compliance with a legal obligation that is still in force.
“You have to respect the law. The law establishes that they must have gearboxes, there must be reports on the mechanical status and there must be a registry of pilots,” he said.
Flores stated that the regulations could only be stopped from being applied through a reform approved by Congress, something that has not happened. In addition, he indicated that they will be attentive to the actions of the new DGT management to verify if inspection is strengthened and compliance with the requirements established for collective and cargo transportation is required.