Tránsito Will
Not, For Now,
Fine Taxis
Without Child
Restraints
Although the
Sala
Constitucional
made public its
ruling last
Thursday, the
Policía de
Tránsito has yet
to be given the
order to fine
taxis for not
having "booster"
and "child
seats" in their
vehicles.
César Quirós,
the new transit
police chief,
said on Friday
that the court
decision has to
be analyzed
before he gives
his officials
the order.
Quirós, who
takes over from
Germán Marín
today, added
that the
¢381.000 colones
fine called for
in the Ley de
Tránsito
(transit law)
will also be
evaluated.
Francisco
Jiménez, the new
ministro de
Obras Públicas y
Transportes,
said that one
option is to
require a
percentage of
the taxis to be
equipped with
the childe
restraints and
the vehicles
marked similar
to those taxis
who offer
service to the
handicapped.
Both Jiménez and
Quirós, realize
that the order
to obligate all
taxi drivers to
carry the child
restraints is
impractical to
enforce and an
impossibility
for taxi drivers
to comply.
"What happens
when a mother
and her three
children ask for
taxi service? it
is an
impossibility",
said minister
Jiménez, who
argues that no
taxi driver can
carry three
child restraints
and have room
for adult
passengers.
For the taxi
drivers the are
up against a
wall. On one
side they have
be physical
problem of
space, the
majority of the
taxis are
compact vehicles
and then the
cost of
equipping the
taxi with one,
two or three or
more child
restraints,
while on the
other hand
facing high
fines for not
complying.
The taxi unions
have said that
if the taxis are
required to be
equipped with
child
restraints, they
will be asking
for a fare
increase.
Carolina Mora,
speaking for the
Autoridad
Reguladora de
los Servicios
Públicos (Aresep)
- regulator of
public prices
and services -
explained that
the taxi drivers
would be
justified in
asking for an
increase in this
case.
On the other
side, a number
of retailers
have come out
with special
pricing for
child restraints
for taxi
drivers.
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