Cuenca's Speed Radars Are Back On The Table

Cuenca's photo radars are not issuing fines again today, but they are officially back in the conversation.

EMOV, Cuenca's municipal mobility and transit company, says it has received a report from the Comptroller General of the State about the city's road-safety equipment. The key question is simple: if the city bought, planned, and activated the radars for a specific safety function, why did they stop working?

What EMOV says happens next

EMOV general manager Edison Moscoso said the subject will be placed before the company's board in the coming days. The board is expected to review the Comptroller report and decide how to proceed.

The photo radar contract was ended by mutual agreement in 2023 under Mayor Cristian Zamora. Since then, the devices have operated preventively or as information screens, not as sanctioning devices that issue fines.

Why this matters for drivers

For expats who drive in Cuenca, this is worth watching because photo radars can change daily driving behavior quickly. Even before any fines return, the discussion signals that EMOV may be under pressure to explain why the equipment is not performing the function it was purchased for.

That does not mean fines are back tomorrow. The useful takeaway is more practical: assume the city is reviewing radar enforcement again, keep an eye on official EMOV announcements, and do not rely on old assumptions about which devices are only informational.

The practical takeaway

If you drive in Cuenca, this is a good week to refresh your habits: watch posted limits, slow down around known radar points, and treat the current review as a sign that the preventive-only period may not be permanent.

For now, the decision still has to go through EMOV's board. The headline is not that radar tickets have returned. The headline is that Cuenca's own control process is asking why the radars stopped doing their original job.

Source: El Mercurio.