Mobility in Mexico: Struggling With Rule of Law, Technology

Technology has proven to be one of the key elements in ensuring the progress of humanity. In ancient times, technological development was key when defending a territory from an invading force or for the construction of infrastructure. Today technological advances in mobility directly impact the economic growth of a country or region. However, the correct use of technology requires the creation of a regulatory framework that allows users to take full advantage of all its benefits. The law is the catalyst that marks the boundary between what human beings can create individually and the collective use of that invention.

In matters of mobility, Mexico is no exception. The country lives in a technological dichotomy: on the one hand it has the potential to take a big step forward, while on the other, the country is tied to a federal policy that is focused on the development of fossil fuels, with PEMEX as the main protagonist of this public policy. A decision that goes in the opposite direction from those taken by other countries, which have decided to bet on cleaner energies. Hydrogen, hybrid or electric cars and renewable energies such as wind, sea or solar are just a few examples. Technology exists but in a country like Mexico, it is necessary to create a regulatory framework that promotes it at both the scientific and commercial levels.    

Mexico currently has the Energy Transition Law, designed to channel how the country should evolve from traditional fossil fuels to cleaner energy. However, legal certainty is indispensable to take full advantage of the potential offered by this legislation.

The situation described is directly related to mobility, as many of the incentives offered by the law to boost the development of green and renewable energies have proved not to be good enough. One example is Nuevo Leon. In the new legal system on mobility proposed by the state, the use of clean energy is mandatory in all public and cargo vehicles. However, the law leaves out liquefied gas, which is very popular in the state and also cheaper.

Mexico must find a balance between the regulatory framework and the costs involved in making the most of that regulatory framework. The country has highly polluted cities such as Monterrey and Mexico City, so this objective must be carried out through legal instruments that help local governments to enforce regulations. Today, Mexico is still caught up in the search for that balance.