Vialidad

Los funcionarios de estado: Javier de Jesús Lechuga Millán, director del Área de Desarrollo Político y Atención a la Problemática; Luis Pablo Guerrero Preciado, director de Gestión de Transporte del Gobierno; el presidente municipal de Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel y los líderes de Uber’s Unidos, en la Ribera de Chapala.

Redacción.- Se atenderán los señalamientos por corrupción y abuso de poder por parte de la Policía Estatal; a cambio, se pidió a los transportistas autodenominados Uber’s de Chapala su regularización legal, se determinó durante la reunión del 18 de febrero, donde los manifestantes se reunieron con autoridades estatales en el Ayuntamiento de Chapala.

Los líderes de Uber’s Unidos, quienes encabezaron las manifestaciones el pasado 7 y 12 de febrero en contra de las unidades de policía estatal, fueron invitados el 18 de febrero a exponer su problemática frente a Javier de Jesús Lechuga Millán, director del Área de Desarrollo Político y Atención a la Problemática del Estado, de la Secretaría General de Gobierno Jalisco y Luis Pablo Guerrero Preciado, director de Gestión de Transporte del Gobierno Estatal.

Los manifestantes acusaron de corrupción a elementos de la Policía Estatal; unidades de transportistas autodenominados Uber´s de Jocotepec e Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, se sumaron al reclamo de los abusos debido a que la Base de la Policía Estatal Regional se encuentra en Chapala.

Omar, líder de los manifestantes, abrió la mesa de diálogo y explicó la situación actual de corrupción que los habitantes de Chapala enfrentan a manos de las unidades CP-003, PA-024 y CP-028 de la Policía Estatal. Dichas unidades, no son del municipio, ya que la numerología de la Base de Policía Regional Estatal de Chapala comienza con las siglas PRJ, según investigaron los quejosos.

Se aclaró también, que los manifestantes provenientes de los municipios de Jocotepec e Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos se sumaron a las manifestaciones en las últimas semanas, que bloquearon las principales vías de tránsito en Chapala, debido a que la Base de Policía Regional Estatal se encuentra en la cabecera municipal de este municipio, afirmó Omar.

Durante las conocidas «revisiones de rutina» que los elementos de la Policía Estatal realizan a vehículos privados, suele haber muchos casos de supuesta corrupción, «preguntan si somos halcones, nos cambian las placas, revisan los celulares, siembran bolsitas o te quitan el dinero», tampoco se quiere demandar en la Fiscalía por estar bajo amenaza, explicó el afectado.

Estos incidentes, de abuso de poder y violar la protección datos personales, no solo ocurren con unidades de transporte irregulares, sino también a civiles y comerciantes que han sido afectados, como se ha viralizado en el grupo de WhatsApp ‘Anti Tamaros’ que circula por la ribera de Chapala.

A ello, Javier de Jesús Lechuga Millán expresó su preocupación con la promesa de hacer una revisión y control de las unidades señaladas, bajo el mando del comandante Juan Bosco Pacheco Medrano, secretario General de Seguridad Jalisco, quien en su momento determinará si los elementos deben ser reemplazados o sólo reubicados en otra base.

Así como instalar un vínculo directo con el del Área de Desarrollo Político y Atención a la Problemática del Estado, de la Secretaría General de Gobierno de Jalisco, para atender las afectaciones de manera anónima y legal. «Los derechos de las personas deben ser respetados, pero también se tienen obligaciones», les recordó Lechuga Millán a los quejosos.

La atención se les prestará como particular en cada caso, ya que, al no estar registrados en la Secretaría de Transporte del Estado, ni en el Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), los transportistas están infringiendo la ley. «Es como si estuvieras robando un banco y te dispara un policía», ejemplificó el funcionario estatal.

Por su parte, Luis Pablo Guerrero Preciado, director de Gestión de Transporte del Gobierno Estatal, exhortó a los quejosos a escoger una de las plataformas dadas de alta en Guadalajara y su zona metropolitana: Didi, Uber y Siggo Drive o en su caso, presentar y registrar una nueva para la región de Chapala-Jocotepec.

Las plataformas «artesanales no autorizadas», como llamaron a los grupos de WhatsApp donde los choferes se organizan, no cuentan con ningún tipo de respaldo jurídico, seguridad o comprobantes fiscales, lo que los vuelve vulnerables a este tipo de situaciones, explicaron los representantes del Gobierno del Estado.

A su vez, si hay un operativo por parte de la Secretaría de Transporte Jalisco a transportistas públicos, “también les van a retirar los vehículos por ser un acto ilícito”, afirmó Guerrero Preciado. Una vez que regulen su situación pueden estar bajo la protección de un marco jurídico, seguros y representantes legales, además de prestar un servicio más seguro al pasajero.

Sin embargo, las plataformas registradas debido a sus cuotas por kilometraje no son rentables para los habitantes de la región. Ya que, los viajes cortos se cobraban entre los 20 y 30 pesos, según las aplicaciones, menos el 30 por ciento de comisión, la renta semanal del automóvil y la gasolina. Los choferes prefirieron abandonarlas.

Falta todavía un 15 por ciento para que se concluya la ciclovía del tramo que comprende San Juan Cosalá. Foto: Héctor Ruiz.

Héctor Ruiz Mejía.- Las obras de la ciclovía de la carretera Chapala-Jocotepec, en el tramo de San Juan Cosalá, municipio de Jocotepec, registran un avance del 85 por ciento.

Enrique González Ramírez, jefe de Comunicación Social de la Secretaría de Infraestructura y Obra Pública de Jalisco (SIOP), informó que para finales de marzo el proyecto quedará concluido y entregado al municipio.

Aunque en noviembre pasado la ciclovía se encontraba con 68 por ciento del progreso, en los últimos tres meses sólo avanzó un 17 por ciento, debido a contratiempos sufridos en el tramo, como los deslaves que afectaron las zonas en octubre y el difícil proceso de socialización con los habitantes de la delegación.

El 15 por ciento restante de la obra corresponden a nivelación de banquetas, así como la reposición de las redes de agua potable y drenaje. González Ramírez dijo que la ciclovía fue proyectada con trazos orgánicos dependiendo de la topografía del lugar; la cual estará confinada con dos guarniciones laterales, sello asfáltico rojo terracota en área de rodamiento, alumbrado público, vegetación y dispositivos de seguridad vial.

Vecinos y dueños de comercios establecidos sobre la ciclovía, exigieron el término de la vía, argumentando sentirse cansado del tráfico y el polvo que generan los trabajos.

“Yo paso a diario por aquí y nomás no veo para cuándo, veo que le siguen metiendo y metiendo cemento, y pues no paran”, comentó Ricardo, un albañil que transita diariamente por ese tramo.

Traffic on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway through  downtown Ajijic, is constant, especially on weekends. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- In recent weeks, traffic has jammed Ajijic, both on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway and on Ocampo Street. 

This situation has gone from being a holiday and weekend problem to a daily one, making it difficult for those who live in the town to travel by car.  Drivers interviewed by Laguna stated that it is becoming increasingly difficult to drive in the Pueblo Mágico, especially during rush hour.

«Normally, from 2:00 in the afternoon until 4:00 pm, the road fills up with cars from La Floresta and traffic starts to become more difficult in Villa Nova (in Chapala). The problem occurs in La Floresta, where everyone starts using the breakdown lane, and when they try to get back into the regular traffic lane, they cause a small jam. Then on Ocampo and Guadalupe Victoria, there is also a traffic jam, not to mention Colón. I don’t know where so many cars come from and I don’t see a solution to the problem,» said Luis, a resident of Ajijic.

When the vehicle load intensifies on the highway, motorists opt to cross the delegation through the surrounding streets, mainly Ocampo, however, Ajijic residents also mentioned Colón, Zaragoza, Juárez and Guadalupe Victoria as shortcuts now being used to avoid the Carretera..

On the other hand, pedestrians interviewed complained that cars and motorcycles move at high speed during traffic hours, making it difficult to cross at corners and putting both other drivers and residents at risk. 

«The children here on the block go out to play, plus there are several dogs. Cars going very fast don’t stop to see who is in the street or who might cross, they think they are going down the road. They say that the traffic jam is due to the traffic lights that are not synchronized, and if that is the case, the authorities should intervene quickly, because it is not only the traffic, they can harm the people who walk on the streets», said Fany, an Ajijic resident.

Director of Social Communication of Chapala Elizabeth Oropeza Silva ruled out that the problem is due to the traffic lights, since they were all repaired  and synchronized at the end of the year.

Other problems mentioned by those interviewed include the knot of cars at the intersections with the highway, for example, at the intersection of Revolucion Street, where cars start to merge into the highway after crossing La Floresta on the side, or on Aldama Street.

Another native of the town, Antonio, commented that some years ago these were problems that were seen only on vacations or when there were festivities, but since the appointment of Pueblo Mágico, it began to become a daily occurrence, in addition to mentioning problems such as long lines at rush hour and cars of visitors that drive the wrong way through the streets.

Director of Social Communication of Chapala Elizabeth Oropeza Silva, commented that since the Carretera is a state highway, the Chapala government has been requesting more support from the State Government in the form of more traffic police cars and police directing traffic. 

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

Traffic on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway, near Rancho del Oro, in Ajijic. Photo: Sofía Medeles

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).– In the last few weeks, traffic saturation on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway, at the height of Ajijic, as well as its streets, especially Ocampo, has been increasingly noticeable. This situation is changing from a holiday problem into a daily one, making it difficult for those who live in the town to use their cars. 

On Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th, there were lines of cars from San Juan Cosalá, due to the accident on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway at the intersection of El Molino, in Jocotepec. This accident caused cars to take up to 50 minutes to drive the three kilometers through Ajijic, also congesting Ocampo Street while it was used as an alternate route. 

Although the traffic is not always this heavy, several drivers in the town said that it is increasingly difficult to drive in  Ajjic, especially during rush hour.

«Normally, from two o’clock in the afternoon until four o’clock, the road fills up with cars from La Floresta and traffic starts to become lighter in Villa Nova (in Chapala). The problem occurs in La Floresta, where everyone starts to use the side roads, and they jam  traffic. Then on Ocampo and Guadalupe Victoria, there is also a traffic jam, not to mention on Colón. I don’t know where so many cars come from and I don’t see a solution to the problem,» said Luis, a resident of Ajijic.

Another native of the town, Antonio, commented that some years ago these were problems that were only seen on vacations or when there were festivities, but since Ajijic was declared a Magic Town, it began to become a daily occurrence.

«On a Tuesday or Thursday, it has taken me up to 40 minutes to get through Ajijic. During rush hour they should assign traffic cops because there is no lack of visitors who want to go the wrong way on a street, just to get around the traffic on the highway. It happens a lot on Zaragoza Street, around Six Corners, and they don’t go slowly, they go very fast.»

Fany, a pedestrian in the area, confirmed that cars coming down to avoid traffic usually go at high speed. She said, «The children here on the block go out to play, plus there are several dogs. Cars going very fast don’t stop to see who might be trying to cross, they just think they are going down the road. They say that the traffic jam is due to the traffic lights not being synchronized, and if that is the case, the authorities should intervene quickly. Because it is not only the traffic, it can cause harm to the people who walk on the street.”

The director of Social Communication of Chapala, Elizabeth Oropeza Silva, commented that since the highway is a state highway, they haven’t asked for support from the State Government, for more police crs and traffic police. She also ruled out that the problem is due to the traffic lights, since they were maintained and synchronized at the end of the year. 

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

The powerful impact caused severe dents in the hood of the parked car; while the driver lost the fender.

A Nissan Versa collided with a parked car in Jocotepec. The accident occurred during the early morning hours of February 13.

The loud bang woke up the neighbors on Morelos Street, between López Rayón and Niños Héroes Streets, at 6:15 am when a driver crashed head-on into a parked car.

After the impact, the parked car had  dents in the hood and was pushed to the sidewalk, while the driver lost the fender of his car. The driver of the silver Nissan Versa fled the scene.

The car was apparently traveling from east to west, according to witnesses, while speeding and zigzagging across the small square of La Campana. The driver lost control and ended up hitting a parked vehicle.

The owners of the parked car  followed the trail of the liquid that spilled from the fleeing damaged car, which was finally located in a vacant lot on Independencia Norte Street, at the foot of the hill. However, the driver had already fled the scene.

After notifying the Municipal Police, the car that caused the accident was found. No injuries were reported.

Translated by Colleen Beery

The accident was recorded on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway, at the height of San Luis Soyatlán.  

Laguna Staff.- A berry picker died after falling from the truck in which he was being transported. Despite the rescue efforts of his colleagues, the Chiapas native died.

The accident occurred on February 10 at around 5:30 in the afternoon in San Luis Soyatlán, municipality of Tuxcueca, when, as the vehicle entered the Guadalajara-Morelia highway, the worker fell to the asphalt.

The male, who was a migrant from Chiapas and was riding alone in the back of the vehicle, died after the impact. Although the emergency occurred in the neighboring municipality, the ranch for which the deceased worked belongs to producers from Jocotepec. 

Translated by Sydney Metrick

Unit 194 of Civil Protection and Firefighters that collided with the pickup truck

On February 10, Chapala Civil Protection and Fire Department truck crashed into a pickup truck while responding to a fire call in Ajijic.

«In the course, Unit 194  collided with a Ford Explorer Sport 2018 vehicle,» the report of the municipal fire department stated.  

The crash was minor and there were no injuries. The pickup sustained damage to the right rearview mirror and dash which will be covered by the corresponding insurance of both units. 

Despite the crash, two members of Civil Protection and Fire Department responded to the call on Zaragoza Street in Ajijic. A building measuring 15 by 3 meters (about 500 square feet) burned,  damaging a motorcycle. To extinguish the fire, the support of the fire truck from the Civil Protection and Fire Department of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos was needed, in addition to two other trucks from Chapala.

The fire left material losses estimated at 30 thousand pesos, according to the report of the corresponding day.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

The trailer overturned at Kilometer 112 of the highway shortly before reaching El Molino, was carrying 300 thousand liters of ethanol. 

Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).– On Sunday, February 13, a tanker carrying ethanol overturned on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway, in the narrow stretch of the  town of El Molino, causing the total closure of the road for almost two days. Specialists were brought in to clean up the highly flammable chemical, also known as ethyl alcohol, and to transfer the liquid to another vehicle.

Although the accident did not result in any loss of life, only material damage, the incident caused kilometer-long lines of traffic and detours by alternate routes such as the Huejotitán breach, the road to San Marcos Evangelista and the Chapala-Jocotepec highway. Motorists returning to Guadalajara from places such as Mazamitla, San Luis Soyatlán and other places on the south shore of Lake Chapala, had to spend more than three hours to get around Chapala. 

The town of Ajijic, where traffic congestion is common on weekends, was one of the hardest hit, as thousands of motorists were diverted along Ocampo Street.

Sergio Herrera Robledo, director of the Civil Protection and Fire Department of Jocotepec, said  that the  truck held about 300,000 liters of ethanol when it overturned at kilometer 112 on the stretch of road near El Molino. Traffic was  stopped in both directions at approximately 2 pm when the spilled liquid was identified as flammable .

A total of 300 liters of ethanol were spilled, before the  leak was plugged and the transfer of the 299,700 liters to another truck of ethanol began. The transfer was completed at 11:30 pm on February 14 and  cranes moved the overturned truck to open  the road.

Herrera Robledo stated that it is not known what could have caused the  rollover of the «Luxemborg Mexico» company’ truck since the driver fled the scene, and  the investigation is ongoing.

This was the 84th accident in the past 13 months in this stretch of highway  known as La Engorda, which has claimed the lives of 19 people, among them a baby and two adults  on January 16. 

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

The building under construction is located in La Floresta, next to Club Nautico. Photo: Sofía Medeles. 

Sofia Medeles (Ajijic).- The controversial construction  of a seven-story building in La Floresta, located next to Club Nautica , is in the process of having two floors, removed as required in  an agreement between the residents of the subdivision and the developer.

The office of the Asociación de Colonos del Fraccionamiento de La Floresta confirmed the requirement  for the removal of the floors.  No deadlines or legal agreements were specified, but a few weeks ago machinery and a crew of workers were observed entering the site,  

This building has been in dispute since its inception, because, although it obtained the construction permit in 2012, in 2014 the project was modified from 5 to 7 stories,  exceeding the subdivision’s limit of two-stories.   In 2016,  it was temporarily closed because the modifications were made without a permit, and the fact that part of it was allegedly located on federal land of Lake Chapala. Construction was  completely  suspended  in 2017 because of the violations.

Translated  by Patrick O’Heffernan

Lago de Chapala. Foto: Héctor Ruíz. 

Por: Daniel Jiménez Carranza

En las actuales condiciones en que nos desenvolvemos, condicionadas por múltiples factores que nos someten a convivir en espacios limitados, es necesario considerar el incremento de entornos públicos de esparcimiento que permitan a la población despejarse del encierro en sus domicilios, cuyo resultado desemboca en considerables casos, en tensiones familiares como consecuencia del limitado entorno de convivencia, trátese de hogares amplios o reducidos, lo cierto es que la estrecha convivencia, genera fricciones entre sus ocupantes.

Dicha condición, obliga a las familias a buscar alternativas fuera de su vivienda, para oxigenar la relación entre sus miembros, encontrándose a su alrededor con reducidas posibilidades de espacios para este propósito, pues dentro del ramillete  existente, sólo existen espacios para el desempeño mecánico de movilidad como es la larga ciclopista, que pone en riesgo el acceso peatonal del individuo, y no se diga de grupos familiares, pues tratándose de este último aspecto,  sería necesario que cada miembro, contara con un instrumento de movilidad de este tipo, lo cual no es posible en muchos de los casos.

Es importante considerar este punto, como elemento fundamental el dotar de infraestructura recreativa  al Municipio enlazando sus Delegaciones, mediante un plan de desarrollo que considere la implementación de espacios recreativos y esparcimiento, aprovechando los recursos naturales que permiten la sana convivencia y estimulan la integración familiar, uno de ellos, sería la ampliación del malecón a lo largo de la ribera del Municipio, enlazando las distintas Delegaciones del Municipio, ampliando los limitados entornos existentes en cada Delegación, que también  atraería a otro tipo de turismo y no sólo el consumista depredador del entorno;  crear veredas claramente señalizadas y acotadas en las montañas y cerros del Municipio, en donde puedan caminar y ejercitarse, además de disfrutar de  la belleza de  los espacios naturales que constituyen una riqueza de la flora y fauna de la Región.

La construcción de la ciclopista ha sido sin duda, un  paso acertado en esta dirección, aunque aún no se encuentra en pleno funcionamiento, pues existen tramos en donde no se ha puesto en operación el alumbrado, así como los espacios construidos para sembrar árboles, están secos y descuidados; ahora toca hacer justicia al peatón, al hombre de a pie y su familia, que también  reclaman un espacio de esparcimiento que contribuya a la integración familiar, y por ende, social.