Residents
Promise
Blockades
and
Protest
Of
Revival
Of
Piedades
Tolls On
San José
-
Caldera
When
they
thought
it was
all said
and
done,
residents
of Santa
Ana are
again in
a fight
with the
ministerio
de Obras
Pública
y
Transportes
(MOPT)
to keep
closed
the toll
booths
at
Piedades
(officially
called
the
Cuidad
Colón
exit) on
the San
José -
Caldera.
 |
Before
the
autopista
was
opened
in
January
2010,
residents
fought
tooth
and nail
to force
the MOPT
to scrap
the
plans of
the road
concessionaire,
Autopistas
del Sol,
from
charging
tolls at
Pieadades.
They
argued
that the
toll
charge
is an
unfair
cost
since it
is the
only way
to get
from San
José to
Piedades
and
further
west to
Cuidad
Colón
and
Puriscal
without
over
congesting
the "old
road".
The MOPT
bowed
down to
pressure,
ordered
Autopistas
to scrap
their
plans to
charge
tolls.
But, the
toll
station
and
booths
remained
-
abandoned
and
several
of the
booths
hit by
vehicles.
If the
plan to
revive
the toll
charges
succeeds,
residents
argue
the
moratorium
on the
tolls
was just
an act
to
appease
them.
And this
is
stirring
up even
more
anger.
The
residents
argue
that the
Ruta 27
has been
the
major
artery
from
Santa
Ana to
Cuidad
Colon
and
beyond
and that
the MOPT
should
expand
the "old
road to
Santa
Ana" to
allow
increased
traffic
if the
Piedades
tolls go
into
effect.
The
residents
say they
are not
against
the
tolls
per se,
just
that
they are
badly
located,
forcing
local
residents
to pay a
toll to
get to
and from
home or
face the
congestion
of the
old road
and
promise
more
blockades
and
protests
if the
MOPT
continues
with its
plans.
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