San José Traffic "Fatal" Without Vehicular
Restriction
Yesterday, was no ordinary Monday in San
José, as it was the first of many days to
come of no vehicular restrictions and a
taste of what is to come as far as traffic
congestion in the downtown core and
surrounding areas.
The vehicular chaos of San José got worse as
the day wore on, beginning in the morning as
the autopista General Canas, a major artery
into San José from the west, was backed up
past La Uruca.
Traffic on the autopista Fernando Prospero
from the Escazu and Santa and the Florencio
del Castillo from Cartago, was the same
Other points of traffic chaos included the
Hatillos, the rotonda La Guacamaya (Paso
Ancho), Llorente de Tibás and the La
República printing plant.
Germán Marín, director of the Policía de
Tránsito, said that there was an increase of
20% to 30% more vehicles on the road Monday
morning.
Making the situation even worse is the fact
that Monday was pay day, and traditionally
the days before and afrer pay day, most
people take their cars to and from work.
The change comes from a decision handed down
by the Sala IV (Constitutonal Court) last
Friday saying that the vehicular restriction
of San José, based on the last number of the
license plate, is unconstitutional and
violates the freedom of transit.
The restriction placed a curtain around the
inner core of San José from 7am to 7pm,
Monday to Friday, and exposing offending
drivers to a 5.000 colones fine.
The ministra de Obras Públicas y Transportes,
Karla González, insisted that the vehicular
restriction saved time and us$3 million
dollars a year in fuel consumption.
The transport minister said her engineers
had calculated that driver ssaved as much as
20% of their travel time with the
restrictions.
"There is absolutely no way to diminish
congestion during rush hours, even with more
traffic officials", said the minister.
Minister González assures that the
restrictions will be back in September when
the new Ley de Tránsito takes effect, as the
new law has the provision for the Poder
Ejecutivo (government) to decree the
restriction.
The minister added that she is waiting on
the written judgment by the Sala IV to study
the judge's ruling in detail and the reasons
for the decision.
The Sala IV judges said on Friday that the
government overstepped its authority by
issuing a decree establishing the
restriction, an authority that only rests
with the Legislative Assembly.
Minister González assures that the new Ley
de Tránsito now gives the government such
authority, a law that will go into effect on
September 23.
Luis Paulino Mora, president of the Corte
Suprema de Justicia (Supreme Court) and
magistrate of the Sala Constitucional,
assures that the written decision will be
available by the end of this week.
Mora said that in an earlier court ruling,
the Court said "the law can regulate civil
liberties", but would not comment further on
the decision handed down last Friday.
While the MOPT studies the ruling and
develops a new plan, traffic congestion will
continue.
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