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COSTA RICA |
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Up
To 1.600 Drivers Licenses Issued Daily For
End Of Year Rush
The year end rush for a driver's license is
on. The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT) reports an increase of
15% in requests, bringing the total number
of applications to between 1.400 and 1.600
daily.
The director of Educación Vial, Hugo Jiménez,
explains that there is historically an
increase in drivers license applications in
November and December, and sometimes
spilling into the first two months of the
new year.
The La Uruca central offices, for instances,
normally hands out some 650 drivers licenses
a day, however this month the average has
gone to 800.
To obtain a drivers license in Costa Rica
the process is simple, yet complicated.
Once a potential driver has passed the
mandatory theory or written test and has
completed his or her driving instruction
(not mandatory), he or she must deposit the
fee at the Banco de Costa Rica to obtain a
driving test appointment.
Jiménez said that the appointments are
backed up and the first dates available are
in February 2010.
The hours at the La Uruca drivers centre is
between 4pm and 6pm, the MOPT recenlty
extending hours to handle the increased
traffic flow, where potential drivers line
up, up to 2 hours or more. A similar
situation occurs in the regional drivers
centres.
As part of obtaining a new or renewal
drivers license, a medical exam is required.
Medical exams (requires a special form) are
readily available at any of the dozens of
medical doctors' offices near and around the
La Uruca driver centre, where a few minutes
with a doctor, who takes your medical
history, blood pressure and an eye exam, is
all that is required for a clean bill of
health for a drivers license.
For an appointment for a road test or
written exam, you can call 2206 7773 Monday
to Saturday between 7am and 5pm.
PS, driving without a drivers license is
still a minor offence in Costa Rica, with a
fine of ¢20.000 colones (us$35). That all
changes in March 2010. |
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