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Plan to Save on Gasoline
Consumption Goes Into Effect
July 27
The Presidential Decree that
aims to reduce gasoline
consumption in the country will
take effect starting July 27.
President Abel Pacheco; vice
president, Lineth Saborío;
Labour Minister, Fernando Trejos;
and, Energy and Environment
Minister, Carlos Manuel
Rodríguez, all signed the
document following the rise in
world prices of crude oil when
it reached us$60 a barrel in the
last weeks.
So, beginning July 27, most
public employees will begin
their work day one hour earlier
at 7am and will be off work at
3pm.
The decree will also limit
circulation of vehicles in the
downtown core dependant on the
last digit of the license
plate, in the morning and
afternoon rush hours of 7am and
8:30am and 4pm and 5:30pm.
Vehicles with their license
plates ending in 1 & 2 will not
be permitted on the streets of
downtown San José during those
hours on Mondays; 3 & 4 on
Tuesdays; 5 & 6 on Wednesdays; 7
& 8 on Thursdays; and, 9 & 0 on
Fridays.
When the decree was first
announced, there government said
it could not sanction those
drivers who did not respect the
presidential order, however,
officials at the Ministerio de
Obras Pública y Transporte (MOPT)
said they found a an existing
law in the Ley de Transito which
will allow for the fine of
¢5.000 colones.
The move is to reduce the number
of cars in the downtown sector,
forcing drivers to seek out
alternative methods of
transportation, like using the
bus or forming a car pool.
The MOPT will also introduce a
plan to better move traffic
during the rush hour periods.
The plan calls for giving buses
priority over cars on the major
routes like Avenidas 1 and 10,
two routes that move
traffic laterally in the
westerly and easterly
directions.
Official government vehicles
will have to respect the order
as well, save police, ambulances
and fire trucks. Taxis and buses
will also be exempt from the
restrictions. School buses and
vehicles for the handicapped
will also be able to circulate
the downtown core without any
problems.
The area identified to have
vehicular traffic restricted is
the area between Calles 9 and 16
and Avenidas 11 and 22.
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