If you’ve ever traveled though Costa Rica, you’ll know that this Central American paradise’s road system is far from perfect. The reality is a maze of winding mountain roads, potholes, and semi-paved paths that lead to breathtaking views and incredible natural attractions. Depending on your mood, these literal roadblocks can be either humorous or frustrating, but they must always be taken seriously, with personal safety in mind.
MOPT (the Public Works and Transportation Ministry) takes the public’s safety very seriously, and diligently monitors road conditions and public transportation companies. Improving Costa Rica’s roads will someday be a major — and very expensive — undertaking, so MOPT focuses much of its available energies on traffic safety.
On the week of May 19, MOPT revoked the transportation rights of two local bus companies, one which runs the San José - Quesada Durán route, and another that operates the San José - San Vicente (La Unión, Cargago) line. Unfortunately for both bus lines, they were taken off the roads for failure to comply with quality standards put in place by MOPT to ensure public safety on the country’s roads.
Viviana Martín, Vice Minister of Transportation, reports that three of the San José - Quesada Durán buses were running without proper technical inspections. When their drivers were stopped for a surprise road check, Autotransportes Quesada Durán was forced to take their buses off the road, effectively suspending their service. For the time being, the route will be covered by Cesmag, the same bus company that services Montes de Oca county, which includes the San Pedro and Sabanilla routes.
Autotransportes HUBA, the company in charge of the San José - San Vicente route, failed a 2007 quality control exam. In 2008, the company’s buses were reviewed in three separate road checks, and in each, deficiencies were found in the buses’ physical and mechanical conditions, such as poorly functioning parts or too-narrow spaces between seats.
María Ester Madrigal, owner of Autotransportes HUBA, maintains that 2007’s failed exam was a mistake, and that her company should have passed. She admits that there were four “bad” buses, but that in April 2008, she asked CTP (the Public Transport Authority) for permission to introduce new vehicles into the fleet. Madrigal states that they have not yet given their consent, but should now consider this an emergency, and give it proper priority, since approximately 1,800 daily passengers are without public bus service.
MOPT has recently made efforts to ensure that Costa Rica’s streets are growing less crowded, as well as better routed, and the organization now shows strong intentions to improve public safety, especially with regards to the ever-popular, economical country bus routes. Though the changes won’t all happen overnight, all evidence indicates that Costa Rica’s oft-maligned road system is on its way up, promising to offer better transportation options to traveling tourists and residential commuters alike.
