Wave of Increases On The
Way: Buses, Taxis,
Electricity and Ferrys
Could All Cost More
The Consejo de Transporte
Público (CTP) yesterday
made an application to
the Autoridad Reguladora
de los Servicios
Públicos (Aresep) for an
increase of 6.16% in bus
fares on all routes in
the country.
According to the CTP,
the increase will allow
bus operators to meet
the increased costs of
operations, especially
the increase in salaries
that just went into
effect and of course,
the rising cost of fuel.
The Aresep, the
government agency that
regulates the prices of
public services, will
have to study the
request and confirm that
all bus operators are up
to date with the social
responsibilities (worker
contributions) and their
fleet counts with the
necessary vehicle
inspection certificates.
The last general
increase in bus fares
was last October.
The Aresp is also busy
with studying a request
for an increase of 8% in
taxi fares and the
request by the Instituto
Costarricense de
Acueductos y
Alcantarillados (AyA)
for a 35% increase in
the costs of water
service.
In addition, some
individual bus operators
have asked for specific
increases on their
routes, namely the
routes between Turrialba,
Ciudad Quesada, Grecia,
Acosta, Cartago, San
Pedro de Montes de Oca,
Puntarenas, Limón,
Curridabat, Puriscal and
San José.
The Aresep is also
continuing its study of
a request by the
Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE)
for hikes in electrical
power supplied by its
subsidiary the Compañía
Nacional de Fuerza y Luz
and the co-operatives,
Coopeguanacaste,
Conelectricas R.L.,
Junta Administradora del
Servicio Eléctrico de
Cartago, Empresa de
Servicios Públicos de
Heredia, Coopelesca,
Coopesantos and
Coopealfaro.
And not to be left out
of the trend of
increases is the
Puntarenas and Playa
Naranjo ferry service
who are asking for a 15%
hike.
The Aresep is expected
to set new rates for the
public services in the
coming weeks, as it
completes the process
with a public hearing on
each of the requests. |
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