Best To Keep The Car
Home Starting Tomorrow
Beginning at 6am
tomorrow the new
vehicular restrictions
of San José will take
effect as the government
decree expanding the
current restrictions
will be published in the
official government
publication, La Gaceta.
For those not aware of
the expanded
restrictions, beginning
tomorrow morning with
vehicles with the
licenses plates ending 7
or 8, they will not be
allowed to circualte in
the area bounded by the
Circunvalación on the
west, south and east of
San José, and La Uruca,
Tibás and Calle Blancos
on the north.
The restrictions will
apply during morning -
6am to 8:30am- and
afternoon - 4:30pm to
7pm - rush hours, Monday
to Fridays.
The restricted area
includes areas like La
Sabana, Pavas, San
Pedro, Hatillos, San
Sebastian and Zapote. On
Mondays vehicles with
license plate ending in
1 and 2 will be
restricted; Tuesdays 3
and 4; Wednesdays 5 and
6, Thursdays 7 and 8;
and Fridays 9 and 0.
The restrictions will
not apply to public
vehicles like taxis and
buses and nor on holiday
days.
In addition to the last
digit plate
restrictions, all heavy
commercial vehicles will
be restricted from
circulating in the
restricted area, in
addition to the "carreteras"
(highways) like the
General Cañas, Fernando
Prospero and the Braulo
Carrilos, during the
hours established.
Germán Marín, director
of the Policía de
Tránsito, assures that
although his resources
are stretched, his
officers will be out
patrolling the
restricted area and
issue tickets to
offenders. The fine is
¢5.000 colones.
The measure is to reduce
gasoline consumption
given the rising costs
of fuel.
According to figures by
the Ministerio de
Ambiente y Energía (Minae)
- environment and energy
ministry - in 2007 there
was one vehicle in
circulation for every
four inhabitants.
What the restrictions
mean in reality for
someone living in Pavas
and working in San
Pedro, for instance, is
forced to use public
transportation or face
the risk of being fined.
The same is true to
anyone working within
the restricted area.
For those working
outside the restricted
area and accustomed to
travel through San José
will also be forced to
use public
transportation or use a
long route. For instance
for someone living in
San Pedro and working in
Belen, would have to
either travel through
Moravia, Tibás and
Heredia on the north or
through Desamparados,
Alajuelita, Escazú and
Santa Ana on the south.
Just the thought of that
is sufficient reason to
leave the car at home
and use public
transportation.
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