Transitos
Threaten Chaos If Required To Work 12 Hour
Days
Traffic congestion in San Jose is expected
to get worse today, not only because today
is Friday or the elimination of the
vehicular restrictions or just too many
vehicles on the road, but because Tránsitos
(traffic officials) have vowed to "work to
rule" or "tortuguismo) in Spanish.
The officials of the Policía de Tránsito say
they will only attend to emergencies like
traffic accidents and will take no steps to
regulate traffic.
The problem began yesterday afternoon when
Irma Gómez, auditor for the Ministerio de
Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT),
questioned the fact that most of the traffic
officers do not comply with their 12 hour
work day as it is established in the Ley
General de Policía passed in 1994.
Tránsitos work only an eight hour day.
Germán Marín, director de la Policía de
Tránsito, said that 90% of the officers work
an eight hour day and not 12 hours, based on
a signed contract between the officials and
the police agency.
The officials now feel that their rights are
being violated if forced to work 12 hour
shifts and have vowed to create traffic
chaos.
For her part, the ministra de MOPT, Karla
González, has been working with her advisors
to ask the auditor to reconsider and allow
the Tránsitos to continue to work their
eight hour shifts.
Marín said that the majority of the officers
have to work outside, in the sun and rain,
sound and air contamination and many are on
foot which leads to tiredness. Marín added
that adding an additional four hours to
their work day will add stress to the
already stressed officers.
The officers may have to resort to appealing
to the Constitutional Court for special
consideration, claiming that they were hired
for an eight hour work day and not twelve. |
