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COSTA RICA |
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Buses Continue To Be Targets Of Assaults At
Night
Assaults on buses, the driver and
passengers, has forced a number of San José
bus operators to vary their routes and stop
short in some cases during the evenings. The
random attacks are occurring with more
frequency, growing in numbers over the past
two years and bus operators have had to
become more vigilant.
Javier Vargas Tencio, director of the
Consejo Técnico de Transporte (CPT), says at
least one bus operator has asked for
permission to shorten its runs at night on
the INA - San José route that winds through
the Ciudadela León XIII, Tibás, one of the
more conflictive areas in San José.
The bus operator wants to cut the 1
kilometre on the route that it feels is the
most dangerous, not only for the passengers,
but also for the drivers.
On routes like the Pavas - San José
customers have complained to the CPT that
drivers are stopping short by at least 200
metres (two blocks) in the last stop in
Lomas de Pavas, another highly conflictive
area.
The operator says that drivers refuse to go
the full distance at nights and advise
passengers when they get on. The reason is
insecurity, as criminals have taken to
throwing stones at buses if their take is
foiled or is not big enough.
Other areas where bus operators have had to
modify they operations are in La Carpio in
La Uruca and Los Cuadros in Goicoechea.
The four areas, Leon XIII, Lomas, La Carpio
and Los Cuadros are all heavily density
populated areas and have only one road in
and the same road out. Criminals have
established a network of warnings when a
police units are coming into the area,
making police patrolling much more
difficult. In some cases police units have
been the target of attacks.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ)
statistics reflect the concern of the bus
operators. During this year from January to
September, there have been 153 reported
attacks. The same period last year there
were only 148 and 99 during the entire year
in 2007.
However, those numbers do not reflect the
real numbers, where bus operators in
Desamparados - another target of attacks -
report at least 60 attacks against them,
while the OIJ figures only indicate 33
attacks.
Autotransportes Desamparados is one of three
bus operators providing service in the south
side of San José, who have taken to learning
the warning signals and keeping an eye on
who gets on the bus and who is waiting
around in the bus stops and warning other
drivers of possible attacks.
One bus operator, La 400, which provides
services between San José and Heredia, has
reduced attacks on their units by installing
a safe in each bus. Alejandro Mora, general
manager of the La 400, says that drivers do
not carry more than ¢15.000 colones in cash
at any time.
Mora adds that the drop in crime against the
company has also to do that drivers have
been given to option not to take on any
suspicious passengers or not make a stop at
stops were criminal activity has been high.
This policy is in total contravention of the
CTP rules, however, bus operators have to
take action to reduce attacks on their
drivers and passengers during the evening.
José Carlos Chaves of Tapachula (San José -
Escazú - Santa Ana) said that his drivers
will not pick up passengers after 9pm where
there have been high incidents of attacks,
like the stop near the Sabana park lake.
Chaves explained the policy is due to
reports of crimes from passengers getting on
at that stop. The bus operator explains that
one of his drivers is still in hospital, in
delicate condition, after being shot by an
assailant during an attack on one of his
units.
Érick Lacayo, director of the Fuerza Pública
(police), admits that the numbers managed by
the OIJ, the investigative police, do not
reflect the reality of the situation faced
by bus drivers at night and does not reflect
"an important rise" in crime over last year.
Lacayo added that at least the attacks have
diminished in the intensity violence like
was occurring at the beginning of the year.
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