VIEW FROM THE TOP
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING ROADS TO EFFICIENCY BENITO NEME Director General of CAPUFE
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Q: What is the difference between the road network
Ministry of Finance, SCT, the Ministry of Public Service (SFP)
CAPUFE operates and networks franchised to third parties?
and Banobras itself. It is the latter that provides CAPUFE with
A: The network CAPUFE operates entails 44 highways
the authorized resources.
totaling 4,198km of road or 15,146.35km when adding all the lanes, amounting to 44 percent of the National Toll Roads
Q: How does CAPUFE plan to invest in technological
Network. This network also includes 18 national and 14
developments for toll booths and electronic invoicing?
international bridges, representing 65 percent of the National
A: Since the beginning of the current administration
Toll Bridges Network. CAPUFE is the largest operator of
CAPUFE has undertaken a wide modernization program in
toll roads in Mexico and one of the largest worldwide. This
its toll road network. This program aims to widely publicize
governmental body has almost 60 years of experience
useful information to support safe, smooth user transit on
in operating and maintaining toll road infrastructure
CAPUFE’s roads, to handle incidents and to provide help and
in Mexico and was a pioneer in the implementation of
emergency services in a timely and efficient manner. This
electronic toll service technologies. CAPUFE offers over
program entails the installation of variable-message electronic
15 services as an added value to its toll road network.
signs, monitoring and local control centers connected to
These include emergency ramps, user insurance, medical
the National Control Center and Users Assistance Central.
assistance and telecom technologies, including the 074
Between 2012 and 2016, all toll equipment and systems within
hotline, through which various toll road services like traffic
the Mexico City–Cuernavaca–Acapulco highway corridor
assistance and information are provided. CAPUFE’s Integral
and the Chamapa–Lecheria highway were renewed. Users
Emergency Attention System handles accidents and
can now pay the tolls electronically or with cash, which has
medical emergencies. CAPUFE’s vehicle park includes 298
significantly reduced crossing times at toll stations. In 2017, the
emergency response units including ambulances, towing
technological modernization of the Mexico City–Queretaro–
trucks, dynamic traffic-signaling units and rescue units, all
Irapuato highway corridor started. This corridor is vital for
operated by specialized staff and ready to provide efficient
industry and tourism because of the number of vehicles
assistance anywhere along CAPUFE’s road network.
transporting cargo and passengers through this road system.
Q: How do CAPUFE, SCT and other public agencies interact
Q: How much do you expect tolls to rise in the coming years?
to develop new highways and renewal projects?
A: CAPUFE’s tolls were dropping in relation to inflation
A: CAPUFE is in charge of renewing, expanding and
between 2012–2016 because the tolls had not been raised
modernizing the existing road infrastructure it operates.
since 2012. FONADIN ordered CAPUFE to raise its tolls 8.7
However, building new roads is the responsibility of SCT.
percent in November 2016 to reduce this lag. These new
In the case of concessions awarded to CAPUFE, this
tolls enable CAPUFE to allocate funds to cover the costs
decentralized body defines and proposes maintenance and
of operation, user services and road maintenance. CAPUFE
modernization projects for highways and bridges to SCT.
uses 56 percent of its budget to perform major or minor
SCT then procures the necessary funds from the Ministry of
maintenance on its toll road network. In 2017 CAPUFE’s
Finance using the Federal Expenditure Budget every fiscal
conservation and modernization program amounted to
year. For those highway and bridge projects that integrate
MX$7.3 billion.
the network of the National Infrastructure Fund (FONADIN), the process is different. CAPUFE defines and presents Banobras a proposal underlining the funds required to
CAPUFE is a public dependency in charge of operating,
execute the projects. Banobras submits these proposals for
maintaining and improving roads that are part of its network,
authorization before the Technical Committee of FONADIN.
either directly or through concessions to private investors. It
This committee is composed of representatives from the
also participates in projects to develop new roads and bridges
