Semana Santa Underway
The Semana Santa exodus began yesterday when as many as two million by Tránsito officials estimations will make their way from urban centres to the beaches and mountains. Traffic on the General Cañas highway was heavy yesterday (Friday) as many took off work early to beat the massive movement that is expected today.

Some 800 Tránsito officials (Traffic Police) will be on hand 24 hours a day for the next 10 days patrolling the highways for speeding, careless driving and drinking and driving. Roadblocks are expected at strategic points, but more so, a visible police presence will be noticed, said Randall Quiros, Minister of Transportes.

In addition to Tránsito, some 1.000 or more cruzrojistas (Red Cross workers) will be on hand to provide emergency support on the roads. Red Cross vehicles will stationed along the highways for those who need medical aid.

The Semana Santa operation has the objective of reducing the number of road fatalities. Last year 30 persons lost their lives during Semana Santa. The majority of the deaths were water (drownings) related accidents, followed by violence involving a weapon and those run over by vehicles.

The Semana Santa operation began yesterday and will continue until Monday April 17.

Joining the Red Cross and Tránsito will also be thousands of Fuerza Pública (police) officers who will be there to maintain the peace and ready to react to any violence. Officials of the organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) and the immigration service will also be out in numbers during the holiday week, working mainly behind the scenes and at the road blocks, like the Tarcoles bridge, the only route that connects Playa Jacó and Quepos/Manual Antonio to San José and other points in Puntarenas and Guanacaste.

To remind people to take if slow during this holiday period, officials published a list of deaths during the past 10 years:

1996 - 19
1997 - 23
1998 - 24
1999 - 47
2000 - 21
2001 - 33
2002 - 30
2003 - 37
2004 - 31
2005 - 30