Tijuana’s transit regulator has allowed bus company Altisa to charge riders 18 pesos per trip instead of the authorized 16 pesos for more than three years. The Altisa fare overcharge in Tijuana affects multiple routes across the city. IMOS, the Institute of Sustainable Mobility that oversees public transport in Baja California, has received complaints since 2022 but has applied zero sanctions against the company.
The gap between promise and action is striking. IMOS director Jorge Alberto Gutiérrez Topete told Punto Norte on March 4 that he would launch enforcement operations “tomorrow. ” He said he would send seven inspectors to Altisa routes. As of March 15, nothing has happened. Altisa still charges 18 pesos on every route.
A Pattern of Selective Enforcement on the Altisa Fare Overcharge in Tijuana
Two pesos may sound trivial. It is not. On a bus system used by tens of thousands of working-class commuters daily, a 12.5% fare increase adds up fast. For someone riding twice a day, five days a week, the unauthorized surcharge costs roughly 80 extra pesos per month. That matters in a city where the minimum wage sits around 375 pesos per day.
What makes this story significant is not just the overcharge itself. It is the contrast in how IMOS treats different operators. When white taxi drivers in Cañón del Sainz raised fares by 3 pesos above the official rate, IMOS launched an immediate crackdown. Drivers faced fines up to 2,000 pesos and threats of vehicle impoundment. They stopped overcharging immediately.
Altisa, however, operates with apparent impunity. The company generates more complaints to IMOS than any other transit operator in Tijuana, according to Punto Norte’s reporting. Yet it faces no fines, no inspections, and no consequences.
For context, IMOS is a state-level body created to regulate all public transit in Baja California. It replaced municipal oversight that previously fell to city governments. The agency has the legal authority to fine operators, suspend routes, and impound vehicles. It uses a WhatsApp channel for rider complaints. Riders have used that channel to report Altisa’s overcharges since 2022.
The affected routes serve large residential areas across Tijuana. They include Delicias, Homex, Plaza Las Brisas to the border crossing, and Villa del Álamo. Several of these routes pass through neighborhoods with significant expat populations and areas that border crossers use daily.
Safety Concerns Beyond the Fare
The overcharging problem sits alongside much graver safety issues. On February 23, 2025, an Altisa bus crashed in Lomas de San Martín due to reported mechanical failures. The accident injured 14 passengers. One of those passengers later died in the hospital.
According to Punto Norte, the driver was not detained afterward. Altisa faced no criminal charges. Riders who board these buses describe broken windows, fallen handrails, and seats improvised in front of rear doors.
Meanwhile, Altisa’s own website describes the company as “the best public transport company, committed to its city” and claims to provide “quality service at a fair price. ” The company is led by Víctor Sevilla.
Fare regulations in Tijuana have barely moved in nearly a decade. Most transit operators received their last authorized fare adjustment in 2017. At that time, the city government still controlled transit regulation. In 2025, only two routes received state-approved increases. The black buses on the Presa-Centro route went from 15 to 16 pesos for digital payment and 20 pesos cash. The red and cream Insurgentes buses went from 14 to 16 pesos.
Every other operator still operates under 2017 pricing. This creates real financial pressure on transit companies. However, the legal remedy is to apply for a fare increase through official channels. Charging riders more without authorization is simply illegal.
What This Means for Riders and Residents
If you use Altisa buses in Tijuana, you are almost certainly paying more than the legal fare. The authorized price is 16 pesos. If a driver charges you 18, you have the right to file a complaint through IMOS. The agency accepts reports via WhatsApp, though the effectiveness of that channel is now in serious question.
For expats who rely on public transit or whose employees do, this pattern matters beyond the two-peso difference. It signals that enforcement in Tijuana’s transit system is inconsistent. Small independent operators face swift punishment. A large company with political connections appears to operate outside the rules.
The broader question is whether IMOS will follow through on its director’s public promise. Gutiérrez Topete told reporters on March 4 that enforcement was imminent. Eleven days later, nothing has changed. The agency has not announced any operations, fines, or inspections targeting Altisa routes.
Riders and advocates will be watching to see if IMOS acts before the story fades from public attention. If it does not, the pattern of selective enforcement will become harder for the agency to explain. For now, Altisa buses continue to charge 18 pesos on every route, every day, without consequence.
Source: puntonorte.info