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Buses Must be Outfitted for the
Handicapped, Court Rules
A decision by the Sala IV - the
Constitutional Court - will
force bus operators to
immediately install equipment
for the disabled, that include
ramps and lifts on the doors.
Bus companies say that the
decision will force them to make
a large investment and will seek
an increase in fares that could
be as high as 300% from the
current tariffs.
The change has the Federación
Nacional de Asociaciones de
Consumidores y Usuarios worried
and plans to lobby the Asamblea
Legislative (Legislative
Assembly) to reform the law that
would force the 8.000 buses on
Costa Rican roads to install the
equipment, which can cost up
us$10.000 on older buses. New
buses outfitted for handicap use
can cost some us$80.000 dollars
the Federación says.
Erick Ulate, executive director
of the Federación says "we
cannot be in agreement with a
ruling of this magnitude. The
immediate and complete
renovation of a bus fleet will
mean higher prices and people
will be forced to seek out other
'ilegal' means of transport."
Ulate says that not only his
group is concerned, but also the
Ministerio de Obras Públicas y
Transportes and the Consejo
Nacional de Rehabilitación who
are responsible for the
legislation, and who will
oversee the changes.
The new Manual de Revisión de
Técnica - the new manual to used
by Riteve, the vehicular
inspection company - will
include the regulation and that
could cause some problems with
many bus operators that cannot
afford the changes required by
the court's decision.
Ulate said that his Federación
will continue to intercede on
behalf of the bus operators and
try to convince the Consejo
Nacional de Rehabilitación to
petition the legislators to give
the bus operators more time to
make the changes or have only a
percentage of the fleet equipped
for handicap persons.
At the present time only 500 or
the 8.000 buses are equipped for
the handicapped. That number
represents 6% of the fleet,
while only 1.2% of the
population have a dis-capacity
and require handicap services.
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