Attacks On Public Buses
Resumes
Riding the bus to Pavas, León 13, Hatillo, La Uruca has always been
a risky business. Now, you can add San Pedro and Alajuela to the
list, as thugs have been picking on solitary bus routes for some
time to steal from the driver and passengers.
Last December a strong police presence at bus stops, including the
riding of buses by uniformed police officials, reduced the number of
assaults on buses. However, as soon as the police let their guard
down, the thugs are back in full action.
The latest attack on a public bus occurred on Friday night on a
Tuasa bus (San Jose - Alajuela route), where the attackers got away
with ¢120.000 colones and shooting one of the passengers on the
foot.
In December the number of assaults on public buses dropped to 13, as
undercover police rode the public service.
The numbers are climbing back up as police focus their attention in
other areas of crime.
The ministra de Seguridad, Jannina del Vecchio, said that stopping
assault on buses will be difficult unless the bus operators change
their way of operating.
Drivers collect cash all day long and by the end of the shift have
their pockets stuffed from the day's fare collections. Also, bus
drivers are under pressure by the company to assist judicial
officials in their investigation.
The ministra said that only one company, Lumaca, that operates the
San Jose - Cartago route, has been able to reduce attacks against
their vehicles, prompting drivers to follow through on the judicial
process, as well as asking passengers and any other witness to come
foward to help identify the suspects. |
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