Accident on May 19, a truck transporting materials was hit by bus 722 when braking abruptly in San Juan Cosalá.
Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- «Expensive and dangerous», this is how the buses in Chapala were described by some residents of the municipality. The lack of care on the part of the drivers has caused a series of accidents, especially on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway.
Most of the accidents have occurred because the drivers of Autotransportes Chapala-Guadalajara stop in the highway lane instead of pulling over to allow passengers to board and alight.
This situation led more than one driver of private cars traveling behind a bus to crash into the bus. This was the experience of Juan, a tortilla delivery man who was traveling in his Nissan NP van, and at the end of last year crashed into the back of a bus in San Juan Cosalá, for not being able to brake in time.
On May 19, in the same town, the event was repeated in front of the ‘Colegio Gustavo Díaz Ordaz’ elementary school with another Nissan pickup, this time belonging to a construction company, which crashed into the bumper of the 722 bus after braking abruptly.
The section of the entrance to Ajijic after the La Floresta subdivision is another of the points pointed out by the complainants. Bus drivers take the parallel road to avoid traffic, however, on many occasions it is too narrow and results in minor accidents against parked cars or those leaving the parking lot.
Another witness said that, when giving way to the state patrol cars at the La Montaña in the downtown area of Ajijic racing with their sirens on about a month ago, the bus coming behind the patrols tried to pass at high speed and came face to face with the bus approaching from the front; Álvaro the witness said he was lucky to have been saved.
A video was also circulated on social networks on April 4 showing the fall of a woman who was trying to get out of the rear door of bus number 06, when the bus abruptly started up, causing her to fall to the ground and injuring her. Other popular complaints are the high speed and abruptness with which drivers drive, «play racing» or running stop lights.
The director of Mobility in Chapala, Moisés Ochoa Urquieta, said that he had called the company Autotransportes de Chapala’s attention for not parking the buses at the stops, however, he also excused the drivers when they do not have a place to park. So far there have been no municipal infractions against the company’s units, the official said.
In the municipality of Chapala, accidents involving buses «are not alarming», said Ochoa Urquieta, since they have been minimal and not serious; so far there have only been material losses.
Translated by Kerry Watson
Andador peatonal de la calle Colón, en el centro de Ajijic, invadido por automóviles. Foto: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles.- Aunque la funcionalidad del andador peatonal de Ajijic se ha visto reducida debido a la falta de atención por parte de las autoridades, este espacio permanecerá los fines de semana y días feriados, según el encargado de despacho de la delegación, Maximiano Macías Arceo.
Por el paso peatonal, delimitado por conos de tráfico en la calle Colón, desde la calle Parroquia y hasta el malecón, es común observar a vehículos invadiendo la vía, así como anuncios publicitarios e incluso estructuras para aparcar bicicletas afuera de los negocios.
Macías Arceo comentó que aún sigue esperando indicaciones del Gobierno Municipal de Chapala, para mejorar el proyecto, el cual aún se está gestando, y se piensa socializar con los ajijitecos antes de realizarse.
Por otro lado, el funcionario aseveró que los oficiales de tránsito suelen encontrarse al pendiente de los vehículos que están estacionados para reportarlos.
“Los tránsitos por lo general suelen estar dando sus rondines y haciendo reporte de autos estacionados. Aunque ellos están haciendo su trabajo, la gente a veces les falta al respeto o los ignora”.
Maximiano agregó que, no se explica la necesidad del por qué se estacionan en el andador, ya que, además de que el flujo turístico está bajando por la temporada, el costado oriente del muelle se habilitó recientemente para ser utilizado como estacionamiento.
Se entrevistó a algunos turistas del Pueblo Mágico el fin de semana y, aunque en comparación con el sondeo pasado realizado en febrero donde varios visitantes aseguraron que no sabían para qué era el andador, en esta ocasión, en su mayoría lo sabían, aunque dudaban de su funcionalidad.
“Al parecer es para que la gente camine sobre él, pero siempre hay carros estacionados. De repente podría dar la impresión de que son ‘viene, viene’ apartando el lugar y cobrando para estacionarse. Sería una mejor elección que se cerrara por completo esta avenida para ser un andador”, manifestó Julissa, quien visitó Ajijic desde la ciudad de Guadalajara.
Accidente del 19 de mayo, camioneta que transportaba materiales se impactó tras el camión 722 al frenar de imprevisto en San Juan Cosalá. Foto: Cortesía
Jazmín Stengel.- Caros y peligrosos, así fueron calificados los camiones de Chapala por algunos pobladores del municipio. Ya que, la falta de cuidado de los conductores ha provocado una serie de accidentes, sobre todo en la carretera Chapala-Jocotepec.
La mayoría de los percances se han dado porque los choferes de Autotransportes Chapala-Guadalajara “se paran en seco” sobre la carretera en lugar de orillarse para permitir el ascenso y descenso de los pasajeros.
Esta situación llevó a más de un conductor de automóviles privados que transitaban a espaldas de un camión a estrellarse contra la defensa de este. Como lo experimentó Juan, un repartidor de tortillas que viajaba en su camioneta NP Nissan, y a finales del año pasado se impactó en la parte trasera de un autobús a la altura de San Juan Cosalá, por no lograr frenar a tiempo.
El 19 de mayo, en la misma población el suceso se repitió frente a la escuela primaria ‘Colegio Gustavo Díaz Ordaz’ con otra camioneta Nissan, en esta ocasión de una constructora, que se estrelló contra la defensa del camión 722 luego de haber frenado de manera abrupta.
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El tramo de la entrada a Ajijic después del fraccionamiento La Floresta, es otro de los puntos señalados por los quejosos. Donde los camioneros toman la vía paralela para evitar el tráfico, sin embargo, en muchas ocasiones es demasiado angosta y resulta en accidentes menores contra los automóviles estacionados o aquellos que salen del estacionamiento.
Otro de los testigos afirmó que, al dar el paso a las patrullas estatales a la altura de la Montaña en la zona centro de Ajijic, ya que éstas venían con las sirenas prendidas hace un mes aproximadamente, el camión que venía detrás de las patrullas intentó rebasar a alta velocidad quedando cara a cara con el camión que venía de frente; Álvaro el testigo dijo haberse salvado por suerte.
En redes sociales también circuló un video el 4 de abril donde se observa la caída de una señora que intentaba bajar del camión número 06 por la parte trasera, cuando este arrancó abruptamente provocó que la persona cayera al piso y le causara lesiones. Otras quejas populares son la alta velocidad y brusquedad con la que conductores manejan, “juegan carreritas” o se pasan los semáforos en alto.
Por su parte, el director de Movilidad en Chapala, Moisés Ochoa Urquieta, aseguró haberle llamado la atención a la empresa Autotransportes de Chapala por no orillar los camiones en las paradas, sin embargo, también excusó a los conductores cuando estos no tienen el lugar para estacionarse. Hasta el momento no ha habido infracciones municipales en contra de las unidades de la empresa, aseguró el funcionario.
En el municipio de Chapala los accidentes donde hay camiones involucrados “no son algo alarmante”, aseguró Ochoa Urquieta, ya que, han sido mínimos y sin gravedad; hasta el momento solo se han tenido pérdidas materiales. Además, en su opinión, estos tampoco son los causantes de los hechos.
Pedestrian walkway on Colón street, in downtown Ajijic, invaded by cars. Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijc).- Although authorities have ot been policing the pedestrian walkway on Colon and removing parked cards, signs and other illegal obstructions, they plan to continue setting it up every weekend, according to Acting Delegado Maximilano Macías Arceo.
itis common to see vehicles invading the road, as well as advertisements and even bicycle racks outside businesses in the pedestrian walkway created by traffic cones on Colón Street, from Parroquia Street to the Malecón.
Macías Arceo commented that he is still waiting for orders from the municipal government of Chapala to improve the pedestrian walkway project, which is still being developed and will be presented to residents for their input before being carried out. However, in the meantime traffic officers are usually on the lookout for vehicles that are parked to report them, he said.
«The transit officers are usually doing their rounds and reporting parked cars. Although they are doing their job, people sometimes disrespect or ignore them,» he said
Maximiliano added that there is no explanation as to why they park on the walkway, since, in addition to the fact that the tourist flow is decreasing due to the season, the east side of the pier was recently opened for parking.
We interviewed some tourists of the Pueblo Mágico over the weekend and, although in comparison with the last survey carried out in February where several visitors assured that they did not know what the walkway was for, this time, most of them did know, although they doubted its functionality.
«Apparently it is for people to walk on it, but there are always cars parked. It gives the impression that they are charging to park. It would be a better choice to completely close this avenue to be a walkway,» said Julissa, who visited Ajijic from the city of Guadalajara.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
The overturned patrol car lies on the road.
Editorial staff. – In the early morning of May 19, a drunk driver crashed into and overturned a patrol car of the Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos Police Department. The police vehicle was parked on the highway while officers controlled traffic following a prior collision on the Guadalajara-Jocotepec highway near the intersection with La Barca highway
After a report of the original collision, authorities went to the scene to find a woman who was pinned inside her truck. She reported that a runaway trailer had hit her, destroying the front passenger side of the truck. The woman was traveling alone.
Because a highway lane was reduced, municipal police officers placed a patrol car behind the accident to alert motorists, but an intoxicated man in a RAM pickup truck hit the patrol car and overturned it. No security personnel were injured, but the drunken driver sustained injuries requiring medical attention.
Translated by Mags Petel
Image of the wrecked bus at the scene of the accident. Photo: Courtesy.
After losing its brakes, a bus carrying workers crashed into the side of the Tuxcueca-Citala highway, leaving 14 people dead and 19 more injured. The accident occurred during the night of May 18.
The blue vehicle with the logos of the Ruza company was transporting workers from a berry company after a day’s work when its brakes failed..
Nine men and five women lost their lives in the accident, while another six women and 13 men were injured and were taken for medical attention to the Municipal Medical Services and the Jocotepec Community Hospital.
Some of the injured were treated at the regional hospital in Jocotepec, while others had to be transferred to Guadalajara due to the seriousness of their injuries.
During the support operation, security officers of the Secretary of National Defense, officers of Public Security of Tuxcueca and the State Police participated. Other support included the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences (Ocotlán Delegation); Medical Services of Jocotepec; Tuxcueca Firefighters; as well as Civil Protection officers of the command of Mazamitla, Chapala and Jocotepec in addition to the Highway Police, Investigative Police (Agency of Tizapán el Alto) and State Civil Protection.
Translated by Kerry Watson
This is how the new speed bumps look that are installed on El Molino Road. Photo: JocoPiolin Official.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- Accidents on the El Molino Road stretch have decreased after the installation of speed bumps.
On February 13, a heavy vehicle overturned on this stretch, spilling 300 liters of ethanol and causing the road closure for more than 24 hours. As of May 19, no more accidents have been recorded.
A little more than a month after the last accident, the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) installed a series of speed bumps on the stretch known as “La Engorda” on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway.
According to María Dolores “Lolis” López Jara, the local deputy for district 17 who managed the project to prevent traffic accidents, these bumps are only a “temporary measure” while a long-term one is being developed.
Lopez Jara said they are still working to install some kind of signage or indicators, “because they can take you by surprise and reduce your speed all of a sudden.”
Although the congresswoman said there has been no record of another accident, largely due to the temporary solution, some drivers have been taken by surprise.
Rodrigo, who regularly travels this stretch of road, said the new speed bumps surprised him. “They are a bit dangerous and you can’t see them. I hadn’t been this way for a while and I was caught by surprise,” he commented.
The measure was undertaken by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) after the high accident rates on this stretch of road. In a period of less than one year, more than 89 accidents were registered in which 19 people lost their lives.
Translated by Mary Woods
The impact was slight, with no injuries.
Editorial Staff.- Two cars merging from the Ajijic beltway onto the Chapala-Jocotepec highway were involved in a minor rear-end accident on the afternoon of May 17.
Even though the accident caused only minor damage, the drivers involved had to wait for their insurance companies to arrive. Despite the fact that the damaged vehicles did not block through traffic, curious onlookers in passing vehicles caused traffic to slow.
Translated by MaryAnne Marble
Imagen del camión siniestrado, en el lugar del accidente. Foto: Cortesía.
Redacción.- Al menos 14 personas perdieron la vida y 19 más resultaron heridas luego del choque de un camión de pasajeros que transportaba trabajadores de una empresa productora de berries, cuando se quedó sin frenos y se impactó contra un paredón lateral sobre la carretera Tuxcueca – Citala.
El percance que se registró durante la tarde noche del 18 de mayo donde perdieron la vida nueve hombres y cinco mujeres, mientras que otras seis mujeres y 13 hombres resultaron heridos y fueron trasladados a los Servicios Médicos Municipales y Hospital Comunitario de Jocotepec para su atención médica.
Durante el operativo de apoyo, participaron elementos de Seguridad de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional; elementos de Seguridad Pública de Tuxcueca y la Policía del Estado.
Así como del Instituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses (Delegación Ocotlán); Servicios Médicos de Jocotepec; Bomberos Tuxcueca; así como elementos de Protección Civil de la comandancia de Mazamitla, Chapala y Jocotepec además de la Policía Vial, Policía Investigadora (Agencia de Tizapán el Alto) y Protección Civil del Estado.
The collision snarled traffic.
No lives were lost in the accident, but there was heavy traffic in the area. This is not the first time that a heavy truck has been involved in an accident on this road.
Translated by Kerry Watson
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