On August 26, a group of carriers blocked the Mexico-Pachuca highway for about 11 hours. They were protesting the murder of one of their companions the previous morning, so the obstruction of the road also meant an urgent call for justice and greater security for the people who dedicate themselves to this activity.
Insecurity increases and the use of violence as well. This scenario has led companies focused on freight transport to invest more in strategies aimed at safeguarding both the products and the lives of truck operators.
Between the search for greater security schemes, fuel expenses and tolls, the National Chamber of Freight Transport (Canacar) considers that the operating costs of companies have increased up to 15%, a scenario that adds to an environment already highly inflationary, for which it requests the Federal Government “effective actions”.
According to data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP), the criminal incidence in freight transport activities under common jurisdiction and federal jurisdiction totaled 7,416 incidents from January to July, which meant an increase of 2.2% with respect to last year.
Although the number of robberies is still below pre-pandemic figures due to less mobility, SESNSP data shows that most of these mishaps are carried out through the use of violence . This situation transcends borders, since the international intelligence center Sensitech reports that for the transport of goods, the country has been assigned a “severe” risk level, since of 100% of robberies, 96% are carried out violently .
Within the framework of the Canacar 2022 Convention, Ramón Medrano, president of the organization, points out that the increase in operating costs will end up impacting the final consumer through a rise in product costs, which happens in an environment of high inflation that It has affected several goods, mainly food.
On May 4, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador presented his Package Against Inflation and Scarcity ( Pacic ), which included, among other points, the reinforcement of road safety , which, he assured, would be reflected in the company insurance premiums.
Despite the above, Canacar, in charge of representing the 180 permit holders for this activity before the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, highlights that to date, no effective actions have been seen in the matter.
“The president recognized in the presentation of his anti-inflationary package that the lack of safety on the roads directly affected inflation, and that is true. We today pay much more for insurance, some companies have their own monitoring equipment and others subcontract them. That is a very large cost that did not exist before,” he says.
Martin Rojas, representative of the International Road Transport Union (IRU, for its acronym in English) in America, highlights that on the continent, Mexico is not the only country that is going through a panorama of rising violence, because in the listing is also found in Brazil and Colombia.
Despite the above, in Mexico the increase in food theft stands out. But not only is the merchandise stolen, because units are also taken.
“Before they stole your cargo and that’s it, but now they steal your cargo, they hit the driver, they can leave him pretty bad. There is a very strong concern. We must do something with the authorities and strengthen national security in this area,” adds Rojas.
