First Day of Expanded
Vehicular Restrictions
of San José
To promote the
consciousness of Costa
Ricans, this morning the
vice-ministra de
Transportes, Viviana
Martín, followed live by
the Telenoticias
television news cameras,
took the bus to work on
this first day of
expanded vehicular
restrictions of San
José.
The vice-minister walked
from her home in
Sabanilla to the nearest
bus stop, escorted by
two bodyguards and a
television crew, she had
to wait for the second
bus passing as the first
was already to full.
This was at 6:10am. The
walk from her home to
the bus stop took about
the same time she would
normally take to drive
to her office in
downtown San José.
Martín said the
exercise, being also
carried out by MOPT
officials for the next
two weeks, is determine
the condition of the
public transportation
system and if there is a
need for more buses
along the routes.
Today all vehicles with
the license plates
ending in 7 & 8 and
restricted from entering
and circulating San José
between 6am and 8:20pm
and 4:30pm and 7:00pm.
Tomorrow, Friday,
vehicles with license
plates ending in 9 & 0
have the same
restrictions; Mondays 1
& 2; Tuesdays 3 & 4; and
Wednesdays 5 & 6.
The restricitons are
total, according to
Martín. The only
exceptions are public
transportation vehicles
- buses, red (official)
taxis and buses that
have a special public
transport permit, such
as school buses and
vehicles registered as
handicap. Naturally all
emergency vehicles -
police, fire, ambulance
- are excluded.
The restriction is
everything west, south
and east of the
Circunvalación, La Uruca,
Tibás and Calle Blancos
on the north. Vehicles
circulating the
Circuvalación and the
northern boundary can do
so freely as long as
they do not enter the
restricted area of San
José.
Vice-minister Martín
said that there are 25
Tránsito (traffic)
police officials posted
along the rotondas and
another 50 inside the
restricted area for a
total force of 75
Tránsitos enforcing the
restriction, that
includes about 20 tow
truck units that will
remove vehicles blocking
traffic on the major
routes.
The restrictions also
applies to all heavy
commercial vehicles
along the major highways
extending up to 15
kilometres from San
José.
The fine is ¢5.000
colones and Martín was
clear that her Tránsitos
can issue a ticket in
the morning and another
in the afternoon to the
same driver if found
violating the
restriction on both
occasions.
The vice-minister was
emphatic that Ticos
should be more aware of
the environmental
problem that is being
faced around the world
and the effects of the
rising gasoline prices
as a deterrent and not
the fine. "This is
everyone's problem",
said Martín.
The vice-minister had to
stop off in downtwon San
José to transfer to
another bus that would
her take to ther final
destination near Plaza
Viquez. Martín told the
television cameras that
the transfer would have
not been necessary had
the intersectoral (interlinea)
buses been running. The
interlinea buses were
halted by a court
decision days before the
start of operation on
June 7.
Martín, if she continues
to use the public
transportation system,
will have to be out of
the house about 20
minutes earlier each
morning to be at the
office at the same time
as if she drove. The
vice-minister said she
is typically at her desk
before 7am. |
