San José Airport Taxi
Plates To Be Offered On
Concession
Following years of
operating as a "special"
concession, the orange
airport taxis operated
by the Taxis Unidos
Aeropuerto at the
Aeropuerto Internacional
Juan Santamaría (San
José) will have to join
the tender process.
That was the decision by
the Procuraduría de la
Ética on Saturday, April
23, following a citizen
complaint.
The orange taxis have
been the only taxi
service to operate from
the airport, excluding
the formal taxis from
picking up fares unless
they responding to a
call from a customer.
The airport taxis are
operating contrary to
regulations emitted by
executive decree in
November 2000, where the
airport was deemed a
location of public
interest and a special
regulation.
Eight years later
nothing has been done,
meanwhile the airport
taxis keep working with
a permit and not a
concession, which is the
norm for all the rest of
the country.
According to the
Procuraduría, the
situation goes against
te principles of
"transparency" and
telling the Consejo de
Transporte Público (CTP)
to take the necessary
action so that airport
taxi plates are issued
by concession.
Viviana Martín,
vice-minister of the
Ministerio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT)
and president of the CTP,
assures that the tender
process for airport taxi
plates will begin soon,
once the regulations for
taxi operation at the
Santamaría is approved
and published.
"The moment we publish
the bidding process, all
is erased and we begin
anew; those who today
have a base of
operation, some 100
cars, will not have any
type of privilege", said
Martín.
The vice-minister added
that the tender process
will be from a fresh
start and without
mentioning the name of
Taxis Unidos, was clear
that they will too have
to make a new proposal
and will be treated
equally with all the
other proposals
submitted, with no
special favour or
consideration to their
last eight years of
operating at the
airport.
CTP officials have not
said how many plates
will be available for
concession at the
Santamaría, the exact
number will depend on a
report by technicians
who will analyze the
need for or not of taxis
on a national level.
Martín indicated that
the only stumbling block
in opening the bid is
the publication of the
regulations and the
details of the study. |
