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Free Transportation To The
Voting Booths on Referendum Day
The Cámara de Autobuseros de
Alajuela (Alajuela chamber of
bus operators) said it will make
available some 700 buses to the
Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE)
to transport, free of charge,
any person who needs a ride to
the polls to vote in the Tratado
de Libre Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the United
States - referendum.
The announcement was made by TSE
president and magistrate, Luis
Antonio Sobrado.
Sobrado said that the decision
by the Alajuela bus companies
will save the TSE some ¢100
million colones (us$192.000
dollars) and will give the TSE
the opportunity to invest that
money in a publicity campaign
promoting Costa Ricans to
participate in the historic
event that will define the
future of the trade agreement.
The buses will be available on
voting day.
The tribunal will be spending
some ¢1.5 billion colones
(us$2.9 million dollars) on the
referendum which results have to
be respected by the government
and legislators, as long as more
than 30% of the electorate
participate.
Alfredo Villalobos, who heads
the Alajuela bus operators, said
that the Alajuela decision
should be imitated by other
public transportation chambers
around the country.
"We can make this process cost
nothing to the country by
providing free transportation,
in this way Costa Ricans will
not have any excuse to not
participate in this important
event of our country", said
Villalobos.
Villalobos added that it is a
responsibility of all citizens
to contribute so that the first
referendum in the country will
be a success.
For his part, Sobrado, said that
the TSE will take measures to
ensure that the population does
not take advantage of the free
transportation to travel to and
from other destinations other
than to vote.
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