10 TransMilenio stations stop operating due to motorcyclists protests

This Monday, mobility in Bogotá was affected by the protests that took place in different parts of the capital by motorcyclists. Citizens expressed their disagreement with the recent restriction established by the district, in which it prohibits movement with a barbecue every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, between 7:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., starting next April 14.

As contemplated, these were the points called by the motorcycle guild: the Virgilio Barco Library, the Troncal Caracas with 45th Street, the Norte Highway with 100th Street, Boyacá Avenue with 80th Street, the Ciudad de Cali Avenue with 145th Street, the Banderas Station and 68th Avenue.

TransMilenio reported the first affections until 4:50 in the afternoon. The first one was presented on 26th Street and Caracas Avenue, so the north-south trunk fleet returned on 34th Street through Caracas and the south-north did so on 19th Street.

Around 5:15 p.m. there was a blockade in the NQS with 57th Street, so the fleet had to return in Simon Bolivar (north-south) and CAD (south-north). For this reason, the following detours were made: the fleet that was traveling on the North Highway, 80th Street and Suba Avenue took Caracas Avenue to the south to 6th Street to the west, until they took the NQS again to resume the route.

At 5:30 in the afternoon the service stops at the stations: NQS, Calle 75, Chile Avenue, Simon Bolivar, Movistar Arena, Campín, U. Nacional, Av. El Dorado, CAD, Paloquemao and Ricaurte.

On Calle 100 with the Norte Highway there were motorcycle protesters who blocked the exclusive TransMilenio lane in both directions at 6:11 p.cm. “Returns are made in Alcalá north—south, south—north in Heroes,” commented the mass transit entity.

TransMilenio's data go hand in hand with the most recent report by the Mobility Secretariat, which states that there are demonstrations on the North Highway with 100th Street in both directions and there are two large sittings: one on the NQS with 26th Street (north-south), and another on the NQS with 72nd Street (south-north). There is also a turtle plan of at least 1,000 motorcyclists on the NQS with Calle 53 (south-north).

The reason behind the protests

Miguel Forero, leader of the SOS Cultura group, commented that “stigmatizing a guild that has done a lot of good to citizens, which for a few cannot label everyone as criminals because they move on a motorcycle”. He also argued that the mayor's measure would be insufficient, since it does not have a direct impact on security.

For its part, the mayor's office called on citizens to “all collaborate and contribute to our own security”, bearing in mind that the days of the restriction are those with the highest crime rates. “In the evenings and early hours of Thursday to Saturday, there were 27% of homicides with motorcycle hit men and 32% of robberies,” said the district.

“Motorcycles, which circulate freely, without pickaxes and plates, that do not pay tolls and have less taxes, are being asked to join these efforts,” said Claudia López's administration and pointed out what are the two minimum actions to contribute: to carry public and visible identification, and that they do not have a barbecue only three days in the night. He also recalled that the new measures “are characterized by being partial and temporary”, since they will go until June 2022.

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