Extortion, Robbery and Murder: Public Transport Problems in the State of Mexico

Work in the public transport of the State of Mexico carries a lethal risk before the extortions that dealers and operators of the entity suffer from offenders.

According to a newspaper survey L & # 39; s universal, Every day, extortions are recorded on virtually all transport routes and few people dare to denounce for fear of reprisals.

Blows, kidnappings, theft of units to burn them and even murders these are the more and more violent methods that criminals use to get the payment of "fees".

In the State of Mexico, a entity inhabited by more than 17 million people, 50 routes connect it to the capital. They registered 155 thousand public transport units, but there are also figures that speak of 70,000 to 80,000 "pirate" units (that is, unofficially registered and operating irregularly).

But extortions are not recorded only on the highways. One of the leaders of the carriers, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that there were problems related to crime on all roads.

"We can not, they have already killed several comrades and the government is not helping us"he badured.

According to the survey of L & # 39; universel, in Nezahualcoyotl and Chimalhuacán, quotas range from 30 to 40,000 pesos a week.

In Ecatepec They even killed representatives of the carriers. "The modus operandi is that they arrive, they burn a van, they leave you a paper with a phone number so you can communicate," explained another consulted person, who said that most of the time, the authorities were in collusion.

Although the government of the entity forced unit owners to install video cameras and alarm buttons on vehicles, the units were up to now not connected to the network. C5 (Control, Command, Communication, IT and Quality Center of the Mexican Government).

According to the members of the Transport Entrepreneurs Consortium of October 30, In the past few weeks alone, there have been 14 attacks on public transport in the State of Mexico.

Also for damage to your units in the last days, losses exceed 7 million pesos.

Raymundo Martínez, secretary of Mobility, said the extortion did not limit the suspension of service on any of the roads.

For the moment, the authorities of the Attorney General of the State of Mexico (FGJEM) met the transport companies to badyze their actions.