Porteadores Celebrate Victory
The porteadores - informal taxis - called yesterday's protest a victory for their side and the public of Costa Rica when it deputies of the commission of the Gobierno y Administración decided unanimously to put on the back burner the law that would eliminate the informal taxi operators.

Porteadores representing some 44 companies marched peacefully on the offices of the Ministerio de Obras Pública y Transporte (MOPT) and the Legislative Assembly to have their voice heard.

Porteadores from as fars Monteverde and Golfito took part in the protest. A group camped out in front of the Legislative building and with megaphones in hand made their voice heard.

While the protests were going on in the streets, leaders representing the porteadores met with Legislative Deputies and commission members, including Movimiento Libertario (ML) Carlos Salazar and Partido Liberación Nacional deputy Franciso Sanchún.

The porteadores emphasized that the law prohibiting them from providing service to the public is a "wrong" and that they would not permit it at whatever cost.

The shelving of the proposed law was seen as a victory by the porteadores and something to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the Federación Nacional de Cooperativas de Taxi (Fenacotaxi), had a meeting of their own since they are not happy with way porteadores offer their services. Though no details of the meeting were announced, a spokesperson said the "fuerza roja (the red force, referring that all formal taxis are red) will not sit still and we will soon announce publicly our opinion and actions we will take".

Porteadores are informal taxi operators who provide door-to-door service to their customers and are organized. Unlike formal taxis, they do not pick up fares on the street. Those informal taxis that pick up fares on the street are known as "piratas" (pirates) and do not form part of the porteadores.