Tijuana, Baja California – Eight shopping centers in Tijuana have gone to court to avoid applying the rule that grants the first 40 minutes of parking without charge. City Hall confirmed the number and said the legal protections are active while judges review them. For drivers, the change is simple to understand but hard to see at some gates. For plaza owners, the stakes are legal and financial.
The mayor stressed that the city backs the benefit for residents. He also said the government must respect court orders when an amparo is in force. That is the tension now playing out across Tijuana’s malls. Some show the court notice on-site. Others await inspections and possible sanctions if they do not comply and have no injunction.
free 40 minutes parking in Tijuana
This rule did not appear overnight. The Baja California Congress first approved the measure. The Tijuana City Council later folded it into the city’s regulations. That legislative path matters because it sets the enforcement base. The city’s Inspection and Verification Directorate is now checking who is applying the benefit and who is not.
The mayor did not name the shopping centers that filed the eight amparos. He cited the ongoing legal process. What he did say is practical. Plazas with valid protections should post the notice. That way, inspectors know the status. Residents can also understand why a gate might still charge during the first 40 minutes.
Why malls sought amparos
Amparos are a familiar tool in Mexican law. Businesses use them to pause enforcement while they argue that a rule overreaches or was applied incorrectly. The article does not list the legal arguments. It focuses on the city’s count—eight in total—and the current inspection push. That leaves two tracks moving at once: court review and on-the-ground checks.
From a consumer’s view, the question is not abstract. People plan quick errands around the idea that 40 minutes should be free. If a mall keeps charging and has no injunction, City Hall suggests there could be sanctions. If a mall has an active injunction, the notice should explain the exception while the case proceeds. The city says it is reviewing both scenarios.
How enforcement works today
The Inspection and Verification office leads the checks. Its task is to confirm that the rule is applied where it must be, and that any plaza with a court protection displays it. The mayor said the city will also review whether sanctions have already been applied in cases of non-compliance. Those details, including which plazas faced penalties, were not disclosed.
The message from City Hall mixes support and caution. Officials back the benefit and say “we are with the people.” Yet they repeat that when an amparo exists, authorities must respect the court’s resolution. That is why the posted injunctions matter in daily practice. They mark where enforcement is paused and where it is not.
What shoppers can do now
If you pull a ticket and see a posted injunction, expect the old rules until a judge rules. If there is no posted protection, the 40-minute benefit should apply. The city invites residents to report problems. That feedback, combined with inspections, is how the rule gains teeth in daily life.
For many families, parking charges stack up over a month. A 40-minute window helps quick pharmacy runs and school-supply stops. It also protects people from paying for a trip that lasts only as long as a cashier line. The rule is meant to make those moments easier and cheaper. The court fight will decide how fast that promise becomes standard.
The wider mobility picture
While talking about parking, the mayor also mentioned a separate project near Playas de Tijuana. The city is working on a plan to add a third lane over the bridge that connects Vía Rápida Oriente with Playas. The idea is to ease chronic morning backups and improve access to the coast and the border routes. Costs are not set yet, but officials argue it will speed traffic and reduce risky merges.
The parking policy is only one piece of a larger puzzle. Tijuana’s growth, cross-border flows, and mall-centered retail all push the system. A small benefit at the gate will not fix congestion. It does, however, set a baseline for fairness in short trips. The bridge plan, if funded and built, would target a different pain point in the same daily commute.
