Compliance with the program is near universal. Since the first day the restrictions were imple- mented they have been enforced vigorously by the city police. 4 One of the advantages of basing the restrictions on license plates is that vehicles violating the ban are easy to spot. Mexican law stipulates that vehicles that violate the ban are to be impounded for 48 hours and their owners are to pay a fine equivalent to $200 . dollars. 5 Often these penalties can be avoided by paying a bribe to the police officers involved, though bribes are expensive and the large police presence in Mexico City means that one may.
