Driving in Ecuador

Oct 26th, 2008 by SteveM

Driving in Ecuador is a challenge, a joy, and an enigma all at once. A challenge and a joy to drive here and the rules of the road are an enigma.

Scenery can be just plain spectacular creating an Ecuador driving risk.. I’ve passed along the route from Quito to Cotacachi maybe 150 times and just on this route I have never ceased to marvel at the grandeur of the scenery as we twice descend 3000 feet down rift valleys to cross a rushing river and then climb back to the moorlands.

Imagine trying to drive when views like this compete.

We twist our way through acacia scrub trees in one sector only to 5 minutes later be passing through avocado groves in Guayllabamba or 30 minutes later passing through a eucalyptus tree ‘tunnel’ as all around we see Friesian dairy herds munching on some of the lushest pasture lands Ive seen in my life (including English ones).

Even some of the roads (like this new man street in Cotacachi) are views that distract!

Now it may be that having such beautiful scenery around you all the time creates part of the challenge of driving on these roads. Id say that’s part of the problem. In general the main highways are in fantastic shape and would not disgrace if they would form part of the U.S state highway system.

The fact that an emerging country such as Ecuador with such a mountainous geography has created enormous challenges for the government as they go about trying to create, maintain and update the country’s infrastructure.

It’s to the credit of the Ecuadorian government therefore that over and over again I hear from visitors that Ecuador’s roads compare very favorably with those of Panama, Costa Rica or Nicaragua. In fact, I’m not sure if it’s a joke or not, but a recent arrival in Cotacachi had told me that Panamanians will often fill large car-swallowing pot-holes with a large boulder and put a flag on the boulder - this is less work than hauling out cars that fall into such pot holes.

But still, undoubtedly the twisty roads here in Ecuador’s mountain provinces increase the challenge of driving and also the number of accidents we experience here.

A third factor to consider when driving in Ecuador is who you are surrounded by; that’s to say the Ecuadorian drivers themselves. They are by and large very capable and law abiding. Stop lights actually serve to stop the traffic and double center lines are, for the most part, respected.

But understanding the idiosyncrasy of Ecuadorian drivers, the laws of the road as they exist and the enigma that is the interpretation of those laws by Ecuadorian drivers and the Ecuadorian police is something, I believe, best left to Ecuadorians. Unless you know the country after living here for years.

For that reason, as convenient as a car may be some of the time I still rely on taxi drivers and local transport, bus or plane to get around the country. Gary and Merri have been at this even longer than me and they too use taxis – Cheap! – to move around the country.

The other advantage is that if you are driving along twisty roads there is little margin for error and full concentration is required; meaning less and less time to enjoy the scenery. And it’s worth repeating I think …. I have travelled Quito to Cotacachi or the reverse journey at least 150 times and I still enjoy the spectacular scenery …. Every single time!

Of course Ecuadorian drivers come in all degrees of competence but many had got used to lax policing of road laws and those with some street savvy are not averse to bribing some of the corruptible highway patrol officers to get out of a sticky situation.

I was interested to see a new Transit Law was introduced earlier this month. Would this have the desired effect of coercing Ecuadorian drivers to be more law abiding?

First impressions were favorable. The overall number of recorded traffic infringements fell sharply throughout the country in the days following the introduction of the new law.

The idea with the new law is to hit drivers where it hurts – in their pocket. The old penalty system had $2 or $3 fines which may have meant something to an Ecuadorian when we were all using the old currency of sucres but had no deterrent effect whatsoever in modern times.

The new laws are much more stringent and it just remains to be seen whether they will be strictly enforced or police officers will still be susceptible to bribes. If nothing else, the bribes will have to be commensurately larger so drivers will still want to avoid confrontations with the law.

The new transit law for Ecuador roads is based on a points system. You start off with 30 points and differing infractions incur different loss of points and fines. The minimum fine is $10 and a loss of 1 and a half points for misdemeanors such as not maintaining a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front. This must be so open to interpretation that it is just asking for a mean spirited motorcycle cop to stop you and run the rule over your vehicle.

Lose 3 points and receive a $20 fine for blocking traffic when you run out of gas! Or how about 4 and a half points and $30 for not respecting the rights of cyclists.

Speeding? Then incur an automatic $60 fine and a loss of 6 points. Repeat offending leads to a doubling of the penalties!

Drivers of illegal taxis can expect a $100 fine and a loss of 9 points and the only lenient law, to my mind at least, is a 10 point penalty and $100 fine for drunk driving. On the other hand I’ve heard, but not read, that you also are detained in a dank, dark cell for 8 days too. That would certainly be enough time to sober up.

In Quito the first person to lose points from his license was a fireman wrongly driving a pickup truck along a mass transit trolley line – he blamed the 911 emergency call system as it wasn’t working and he needed to get somewhere quickly. The police were having none of it.

One hundred other tickets were issued in the first three hours but the police later announced that there was a quite significant drop in traffic infringements from the normal figure.

All of this gives the impression that Ecuador drivers are a muddled lot, haphazardly following the laws at a whim. But this is far from the truth as I recently discovered.

Ecuador customs place a high tax on used cars so most automobiles in Ecuador are new and shiny though this Alfa Romeo is still the only locally-owned sports car.

Even most of the trucks are new and well kept.

I was returning from Ibarra to Cotacachi at about 11 in the morning on a cloudless day. We were travelling southwards out of Ibarra along the busy Pan American highway. Suddenly the little hatchback car in front of us veered over to the center line and then back to the right hand edge of the road. I think the driver was trying to stay close to the curb and let others going quicker pass.

We slowly and gingerly overtook, giving him a wide berth. I looked out of my passenger window and the driver was so far gone he had a glazed look across about him and his lower lip was curled over the top of the steering wheel to boot.

Suddenly he overtook us at great speed and just tore along the other carriageway forcing some oncoming drivers to swerve out of his way. With that, my driver picked up his cell phone –which is now a $20 fine and 3 point deduction under the new laws! – and dialed 102 – the local police number. He reported the drunk driver and asked for a patrol rider to come out and investigate.

In all he called 3 times getting ever more frustrated with the police but finally we saw the patrolman gliding down the other carriageway looking for a car that fit our driver’s description of the offending car. But the cop just plain missed the offender who was by now a half mile ahead.

My taxi driver, not to be out-witted, again called the police and told them the drunken driver was still on the loose and asked that the police at the toll booth ahead look out for him. As we arrived at the toll booth we spotted the drunk driver in a line of cars waiting to pass. My admiration for my driver increased further when he stopped the taxi and was about to go and drag a policeman over to the offender.

Unfortunately for the drunk, he had stalled his car in the line and unable to start it again he inadvertently called attention to himself. Three policemen and one police woman dragged him and his equally inebriated passenger out of his car and he was arrested on the spot. This act of good citizenship greatly impressed me as it was done only out of concern for the safety of other drivers and pedestrians.

Ecuadorian drivers do know how to drive defensively and in general are excellent drivers so I really question the wisdom of renting a car unless you absolutely must. Here at El Meson we know several drivers who will drive you all over Ecuador for $70-80 per day plus their food and a cheap room in a hostel at maybe $10 a night. (Usually fine hotels will put your driver up for free also.)

Ecuador’s taxis are inexpensive ad quite good.

Here is a Cotacachi Ecuador taxi.

When we send drivers down to meet guests arriving at the airport we send down trusted taxi drivers whom we’ve come to know very well. They have driven from Quito to Cotacachi dozens and dozens of times without incident and brought hundreds of guests just like you to Meson de Las Flores.

Jorge, Isak, Jorge and Julio are just a few of those we use. We often use Julio who speaks conversational English and has a light van when you arrive with more luggage or companions.

He charges the same as a taxi when he takes two people to Quito, that´s to say $45 to $55 depending on time of day and location in Quito and $70 when there are more people/lots of luggage or it is very late at night. Otherwise he charges $10 an hour to just do general touring in the Imbabura area. I can´t think of a more pleasant way to go to Quito and Julio and I often have long discussions on every subject under the sun as he drives and I rest on the way down to Quito.

Come tour Ecuador either before or after attending a course here at Cotacachi. We can put you in touch with drivers both here and in Quito who will journey with you all over Ecuador so that you can relax and enjoy the journey.

Steve

Here are some pictures that one of our delegates took in Cotacachi.