To promote the consciousness of Costa Ricans, this morning the vice-ministra de Transportes, Viviana Martín, followed live by the Telenoticias television news cameras, took the bus to work on this first day of expanded vehicular restrictions of San José.
The vice-minister walked from her home in Sabanilla to the nearest bus stop, escorted by two bodyguards and a television crew, she had to wait for the second bus passing as the first was already to full. This was at 6:10am. The walk from her home to the bus stop took about the same time she would normally take to drive to her office in downtown San José.
Martín said the exercise, being also carried out by MOPT officials for the next two weeks, is determine the condition of the public transportation system and if there is a need for more buses along the routes.
Today all vehicles with the license plates ending in 7 & 8 and restricted from entering and circulating San José between 6am and 8:20pm and 4:30pm and 7:00pm. Tomorrow, Friday, vehicles with license plates ending in 9 & 0 have the same restrictions; Mondays 1 & 2; Tuesdays 3 & 4; and Wednesdays 5 & 6.
The restricitons are total, according to Martín. The only exceptions are public transportation vehicles - buses, red (official) taxis and buses that have a special public transport permit, such as school buses and vehicles registered as handicap. Naturally all emergency vehicles - police, fire, ambulance - are excluded.
The restriction is everything west, south and east of the Circunvalación, La Uruca, Tibás and Calle Blancos on the north. Vehicles circulating the Circuvalación and the northern boundary can do so freely as long as they do not enter the restricted area of San José.
Vice-minister Martín said that there are 25 Tránsito (traffic) police officials posted along the rotondas and another 50 inside the restricted area for a total force of 75 Tránsitos enforcing the restriction, that includes about 20 tow truck units that will remove vehicles blocking traffic on the major routes.
The restrictions also applies to all heavy commercial vehicles along the major highways extending up to 15 kilometres from San José.
The fine is ¢5.000 colones and Martín was clear that her Tránsitos can issue a ticket in the morning and another in the afternoon to the same driver if found violating the restriction on both occasions.
The vice-minister was emphatic that Ticos should be more aware of the environmental problem that is being faced around the world and the effects of the rising gasoline prices as a deterrent and not the fine. “This is everyone’s problem”, said Martín.
The vice-minister had to stop off in downtwon San José to transfer to another bus that would her take to ther final destination near Plaza Viquez. Martín told the television cameras that the transfer would have not been necessary had the intersectoral (interlinea) buses been running. The interlinea buses were halted by a court decision days before the start of operation on June 7.
Martín, if she continues to use the public transportation system, will have to be out of the house about 20 minutes earlier each morning to be at the office at the same time as if she drove. The vice-minister said she is typically at her desk before 7am.
