On May 30th, 2015, nearly three hundred residents protested alongside the toll road next to the toll booths they wish to become exempt from paying. According to organizers, the goal is to attract attention from local authorities, federal authorities, and legislators.

According to the group, the toll booth charge is unfair and unconstitutional as residents are forced to pay money to travel to and from their homes, schools, work and their municipality with no "free route" alternative. The toll booths were built over thirty years ago in order to pay off the cost of construction of the toll road. While the toll road has long since been paid off, the toll booth continues to operate and all those that travel along it, including the twelve thousand residents living in sixteen residential communities located to the south of it, are subject to the toll fee of 31 pesos.

While residents can obtain a fifty percent discount, many claim that the requirements are burdensome and that even at 15.5 pesos the cost of commuting to and from Tijuana adds up. Additionally, only two discount cards are provided per family, meaning that children of driving age must pay full price. For a family of two that commutes to and from work on a daily basis with the discount, the annual cost of toll booths is more than $1,500 dollars. When adding children that do not have the discount, or stay-at-home moms that cross the toll booth up six times a day to take their children to and from school or to extracurricular activities, and any weekend trips to Tijuana the total toll booth expenditure may be double or triple $1,500 dollars.

Organizers claim that the Tijuana government should not only support the group's petition out of fairness, but also because it makes economic sense. Many residents claim that in order to avoid paying the toll booth, they do grocery shopping and run other errands in Rosarito - meaning that Tijuana is losing money that residents would otherwise be spending in Tijuana.

According to organizers, the average weekly expense per resident is approximately 450 pesos. While the discount helps, many residents complain that they do not qualify for the discount as the car must be registered in the name of the homeowner - meaning that children or spouses that are not listed do not qualify — and those that drive company cars have no way to qualify. Furthermore, residents must renew the discount each year, which involves multiple trips to Tijuana to submit paperwork. Of the estimated 12,000 Tijuana residents south of the toll booth, approximately 1,500 vehicles have obtained the discount.

One of the group's requests is that if the toll booth charge can not be deemed exempt for all residents, at the very least the exemption should be granted to those that have gone through the trouble of obtaining the discount. All residents pay property tax in Tijuana and claim that the city has the obligation to provide for free transit to people residing therein, whether that be by constructing a free road or ensuring that residents are exempt from the federal toll.

Given that the matter is dependent on federal authorities, located in Mexico City, according to organizers it is very difficult for the group's requests to be taken into consideration by out-of-touch officials. The group has met with the Director of BANOBRAS — the authority that collects the toll charges— and was met with indifference. The group believes that the city government must step in and use their voice and authority and push the cause on their behalf.

On May 26th, the group met with Tijuana Mayor Jorge Astiazaran Orci and managed to obtain certain promises. Mayor Astiazaran has agreed to include the topic in an upcoming meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto in Ensenada on June 1, 2015. The Mayor has also agreed to schedule an appointment with Banobras authorities and try and reach and agreement with them, along with promises to coordinate meetings with other officials.

A recent referendum submitted to the Senate proposes to establish privileges for residents who live near toll booths, by requiring that the federal toll concessions establish "tariff schemes or exemptions for residents". Organizers fear that because the option exists, the current 50% exemption will remain in place if this bill passes, having little effect on the status quo.

The group also has begun drafting and preparing documents for parallel legal actions should negotiations fail, including an "amparo" — a strategy that has been successful in other parts of the country.

For more information, call (664) 634-0189 and/or follow the Facebook group "No al cobro para residentes en la caseta de cuota de Playas de Tijuana".

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