Only the municipal traffic authority can issue fines. The Zona Azul operating company (the concessionaire) has no power to fine — it merely detects irregularities and reports them to the competent authority [1].
The Division of Responsibilities
| Entity | Can Do | Cannot Do |
|---|---|---|
| Operator/Concessionaire | Enforce, issue irregularity notices, charge the TPU | Issue a traffic fine |
| Municipal Traffic Authority | Issue fines, draw up the violation notice | Operate the charging system |
| Traffic Officer | Cite violations, issue the AIT (Traffic Violation Notice) | Charge the TPU |
How It Works in Practice
- Areatec's OCR Vehicle or the officer with the Electronic Ticketing device detects a non-compliant vehicle
- The system generates an Irregularity Notice (AI) — this is NOT a fine
- The driver has the deadline set by their city to pay the TPU (to regularize)
- If they don't regularize, the operator reports it to the traffic authority
- The traffic authority (not the operator) draws up the Traffic Violation Notice (AIT)
- Only then is it an official fine with license points
Legal Basis
The Brazilian Traffic Code (Art. 280) is clear: only agents of the traffic authority may draw up violation notices. The private operator acts as an operational arm, but the decision to fine always rests with the public authority [1].
Areatec provides the technology (OCR Vehicle, Aretron, Electronic Ticketing) that enables the municipality to enforce efficiently, but the sanctioning authority remains exclusively with the public body.