Confusion And Doubt
Reigned On First Day Of
Expanded Vehicular
Restrictions
Confusion and doubt,
both from drivers and
Tránsito (traffic)
officials, was evident
yesterday in the first
day of the expanded
hours of the vehicular
restrictions of San
José.
Many drivers say they
were surprised when
stopped by a Tránsito,
saying not to be aware
of the all day
restrictions. Meanwhile,
Tránsitos were unclear
on the number of tickets
that could be issued to
an offending driver on
the same day, due to
lack of good
communications by
superiors.
One thing was evident,
there were fewer
vehicles on the road.
Travelling on the
Circunvalación at noon
time felt like it was a
Sunday. Getting of the
ramp from Escazú to the
Circunvalación was
without the usual
backlog of traffic. The
same was reported in all
areas around San José.
Although the expanded
restriction has been a
popular subject all week
since the government
announced that it would
restrict traffic in San
José on a 24 hour basis
beginning on Thursday,
then at the last minute
reducing it to 13 hours,
more than 700 drivers
were found in violation
and fined.
The 6am to 7pm
restriction applies to
all passenger vehicles
and while all commercial
vehicles are restricted
from circulating in the
morning and afternoon
rush hours.
One Tránsito was
reported to have fined
the driver of a tractor
trailer with the license
plate ending in 7 near
the rotonda de la
Bandera, in San Pedro,
at 10am. The
vice-minister of
Transportes, Viviana
Martín, said the
official should hot have
issued the fine, as the
truck has the right to
circulate.
Martín explained that
some Tránsitos were
confused on what is and
what is not permitted
and expected on the
first day of the new
restrictions.
The vice-minister
explained clearly the
regulations in force:
1. Restricted during 6am
and 7pm, depending on
the last digit of the
license plate, are all
passenger vehicles,
private and public, and
light commercial
vehicles (vehicles with
the license plate "cl")
2. Commercial vehicles
(vehicles with plates
"c") are only restricted
during 6am and 8:30am
and 4:30pm and 7pm,
depending on the last
digit of the license
plate
3. All emergency
vehicles - police, fire,
ambulance, tránsito -
public buses, taxis,
motorcycles and
handicapped vehicles are
excuded
4. School buses, tourism
buses and private buses
carrying workers, along
with light vehicles
carrying perishable
products are excluded
5. Excluded from the
restrictions are also
vehicles providing
essential public
services
The vice-minister
stressed that all
government vehicles,
including vehicles of
Ministries and
Institutions not
providing essential
public services are
included in the
restriction.
The case in point was
the fining of the driver
of the vehicle carrying
the Ministra de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT),
Karla González, earlier
this week when she left
a meeting at Casa
Presidencial. The
minister said she urged
the traffic official to
issue her driver the
fine as no one can be
excluded from the
restrictions and added
that she scolded the
driver for the
violation. |
