Argentine Routes contain a "Low Rate of Effectiveness" In the Collection of Fines to Concessioners
<p><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">This was stated by the AGN on sanctions made by the Control Entity of the Highway Concession (OCCOVI, for its acronym in Spanish). They also noted that the entity takes nearly a year to apply sanctions to concessioners who commit road offenses and said the agency still lacks a unified registration of penalties, even though it had to be ready in 2004.</span></p> <div> </div>
A report made by the General Audit Office (AGN, for its acronym in Spanish) said that there is "a low rate of effectiveness in the execution of the fines" applied by OCCOVI.
Of the 21 cases examined by the Audit only "33% of cases were resolved by the OCCOVI" of which only three "actually paid the fine." Note that "the National Register of penalties had not been created even though its realization was scheduled in accordance with the Office of the Comptroller General (SIGEN, for its acronym in Spanish) in 2004. Indeed, the AGN says that such weaknesses" affect the performance of its functions."
The report, approved this year on data from 2006 to September 2009, explains that "there were records –of penalty administration- that were paralyzed for 323 days". According to the audit, these delays "weaken the OCCOVI in their role of control" and "generate inequitable treatment regarding concessioners that do meet their contractual obligations."
How the OCCOVI Controls
Regarding the status of the roads, the AGN says that the entity does not have the necessary equipment for pavement evaluation; they also "do not always have the instruments of the National Highways." Nor is there an "effective communication between different areas of the entity" that "enables them to have information needed for decision-making."
Meanwhile, the AGN indicated that monthly monitoring reports "have limitations that preclude an adequate examination" and in this regard stated that the information does not arise "regarding the progress of the previous months." In fact, in the section ‘State Runner’ "the status is changed one month to another (fair to good, from bad to regular) without stating the execution of tasks that led to the improvements."
Finally, it was observed that they do not cover data about route transit. The auditors concluded that "the method in which these reports are written are not clear, mainly because there is no mechanism of information processing that allow the monitoring to be observed.”