Interlínea Buses Could Be
Rolling In Two Weeks
The Interlínea bus route
could be a reality very
soon as the bidding
contest begins on
Wednesday, where bus
operators will be
invited to participate
for a "temporary" permit
to operate the
intersectoral buses.
The regulation to allow
the bidding process will
be published on
Wednesday in the
official government
publication, La Gaceta,
according to the
viceministra de
Transportes, Viviana
Martín.
Some 40 companies could
make their bid for the
new service that was to
have begun operating on
June 5 but halted
following an appeal by
one of the losers of the
original bid to the
Constitutional Court.
The Interlínea routes in
effect eliminate the
need to travel to and
from downtown San José
to move between
neighbouring communities
like Hatillo, Alajuelita
and Escazú, for
instance. Currently one
has to take the Escazú
bus to downtown San José
and then transfer to the
Alajulita bus for travel
between the two
adjoining communities.
The Interlínea buses
will connect communities
like Santa Ana to
Heredia to Moravia to
Desamparados to La Uruca
To Pavas and Escazú
without ever the need to
go to downtown San José.
Bus operators will have
eight days to present
their proposals for
consideration, which
will be based on which
companies can provide
the best service for the
particular route,
according to Martín.
The original bid was won
by MPT S.A., which
brought together 36 of
the 40 bus operators
which are invited to bid
come Wednesday.
Martín added that if all
goes according to plan
the buses can start
rolling in October,
since there is no law
that establishes a time
period in which the
Consejo de Transporte
Público must make a
decision, hence, a
decision could come as
early as Thursday.
Martín said that the
time to make a decision
will depend on the
number and the quality
of the proposals. "We
want to be diligent and
efficient in making the
decision", said Martín. |
