No Taxis Today Due to National Strike
A delegation of 138 buses on various routes around the country, and maybe more, are expected to join taxi drivers in a national strike of services in protest of Ley 13136 that would eliminate "porteadores" - informal taxi services - or the last of will by legislators who last week backed down on the proposal following a demonstration by the porteadores.

Taxi drivers and co-operatives have promised to paralyze the country and a major concentration in San José to pressure legislators into completing their promise in passing the law.

Chaos is expected on Costa Rican roads today, as the "fuerza roja" - red force because all taxis are coloured red - will be out to make their point known, grouping in front of the Asemblea Legislative (Legislature) in downtown San José and slowing and/or blocking traffic all around the country.

Alex Álvarez, a spokesperson for the Cámara Nacional de Transportistas, said that bus drivers will unite with taxi drivers in their cause.

Gilberth Ureña, of the Foro Nacional de Taxistas, confirmed that the call for a national strike today and that taxi drivers will group in various locations all over Costa Rica, including Quespos, Jacó, Puntarenas, Grecia, San Carlos, Limón and Zona Sur. In some places, taxi drivers will aim slow down traffic, in others completely stop it for a time.

The major concentration is expected in Parque La Paz and Plaza Viquez, in front of the offices of the Ministerio de Obras Pública y Transporte (MOPT) and Legislative Assembly.

By 10am, the full force of the action should be felt around the country.

Taxi drivers are complaining that the porteadores are taking away their livelihood and putting passengers at risk. They want the legislators to pass the Ley 13136 that would effectively eliminate porteadores and give Tránsito officials (Traffic police) the power to sanction those who provide informal taxi service.

Porteadores on the other hand won big last week when a group of legislators promised to kill the bill. Porteadores say that they are providing a much needed service, a service that is not provided by taxis in many communities.

Porteadores differ from "piratas" in that they do not pick up customers on the street like an official taxi, but, rather provide door-to-door service to their exclusive clients. Porteadores are organized similar to the taxi co-operatives and customers can call for a car to be picked up at a specific location and time.

Piratas on the other hand are "taxi bandits" who pick up fares on the street, do not use a taximeter and in do not count with the required insurance that covers the passenger - customer - in the event on an accident.

Supporters of the porteadores, like legislative deputy, Carlos Salazar, of the Movimiento Libertario, says that "taxi drivers provide a deficient monopolistic service and resist changes that would better the service. Their egotistical attitude wants to end an activity that feeds thousands of families".