Transit Police Patrol Highway on Foot
Officers of the Policía de Tránsito have been patrolling since March the 51 kilometres of highway of the Zurquí on foot, given that the patrol vehicles assigned to them are still in the shop, waiting on an order for their repair.

The stretch of road patrolled by this unit without vehicles is from San José, near the La Republica installation past the Zurquí tunnel.

Along the route, various Transit officers stand duty on foot by the side of the road, in full uniform, but without the support of a vehicle which is customary in patrolling highway routes. The only other Transit officers who work on foot and without a vehicle are in the areas of the downtown core of San José.

Transit officers complain to their superiors about the situation, who are as equally frustrated. "Who will stop for a Transit officer on foot and not a vehicle by his side?", is the complaint by many Transit officers who can only flag a vehicle but don't have the resources to give chase if necessary.

On Monday, two men dressed in Transit police uniforms held up a truck carrying a load of cigarettes on the same stretch of road. Officials at the Policía de Tránsito issued a statement that the public should not be fooled, explaining the full dress code to identify a 'real' Transit officer and made the point that a Transit officer will have his vehicle nearby.

Some Transit officers have taken matters into their own hands by borrowing friend's vehicles and in some cases, like that of the Spanish language newspaper Diario Extra, lent their vehicle to officers for a day, paying for the gasoline from their own pocket or having to hitch a ride to the scene of an accident.

Juan Manuel Delgado, director of the Policía de Tránsito, confirms what is happening. Delgado said that five patrol units assigned to the section of Route 32.are in need of repair and are waiting on an order by the Consejo de Seguridad Vial to approve the funds for the repairs.

Delgado added that he gave his officers instructions to stay near the Transit police station and not to patrol the roadway on foot.

According to Delgado, he is anxious to resolve this situation as soon as possible since, like many other routes in the country, the route is dangerous and requires constant supervision. Delgado explained that attending to accidents has been time consuming for those involved as officers with vehicles have to be dispatched from San José.