“Waiting five minutes standing for a car to stop. Checking the vehicle traffic light to know when to cross on foot. Thanking the driver who finally lets you pass. These are some of the situations that unconsciously repeat in Mexico City, a mega-city with over 9 million inhabitants where the driver is the king of the road. A capital lacking infrastructure for pedestrians, where a driver’s license is obtained without an exam, reflects a country where 7 out of every 10 road deaths are among the most vulnerable: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists”, describes an article published by the newspaper EL PAÍS.
The traffic regulations of the Mexico City Government are clear about who has priority to use public roads: first, pedestrians, especially those with disabilities and limited mobility; and second, cyclists. The lack of respect is related to the fact that there are no exams required to obtain a driving license in the capital. According to Bosco Martí, president of the Aleatica Foundation for Road Safety, this is one of the triggers for the lack of awareness of the rules: “In Mexico, unlike other countries, the issue of the license is a right rather than a privilege.”
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