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 The driving restrictions continue with their strict times for some vehicles, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as their plate number isn’t banned for the day. - Traffic Police photo - |
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Published on Monday, August 9, 2021
Driving restrictions will continue for this week, from today to Sunday, Aug. 15, better known in Costa Rica as Mother’s day. Implemented since 2020, these regulations continue to serve as a measure to try to decrease covid-19 infections, according to the National Emergency Commission. Despite the driving restrictions being in place, the virus continues to spread in Costa Rica. According to data provided by the Ministry of Health, as of Friday, there are 74,130 active covid-19 cases in the country. Of the total 416,677 cases detected since last year, there were 5,124 deaths listed as covid-19 related, approximately a 1.2% death rate in Costa Rica. The driving restrictions continue with their strict times for some vehicles, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as their plate number isn’t banned for the day. After 10 p.m. no vehicle should be on the streets, except those traveling to authorized places such as the airport, a clinic, work, school or a hotel, among others. The list of exceptions that allow any vehicle to drive at night is on the government website under Vehicle Exceptions. This week, driving restrictions apply as follows: · Monday, Aug. 9, plates ending in 1 or 2 are banned. · Tuesday, Aug. 10, plates ending in 3 or 4 are banned. · Wednesday, Aug. 11, plates ending in 5 and 6 are banned. · Thursday, Aug. 12, plates ending in 7 or 8 are banned. · Friday, Aug. 13, plates ending in 9 or 0 are banned. · Saturday, Aug. 14, plates ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) are banned. · Sunday, Aug. 15, plates ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) are banned. Drivers caught disregarding the driving restrictions must pay a fine of about $180. Traffic officers cannot seize the vehicle or its plates, nor can they reduce driver's license points for breaking the rules. A practical solution to avoid driving is to request a ride-hailing service or use public transportation. Drivers should print and keep the ban-on-driving schedule displayed with them at all times.  Readers can verify the car plate number restrictions by visiting the government website’s Vehicle Alert. Recently, the Ombudsman Office requested the Ministry of Health for a report on the technical studies that justify the decision to continue with the driving restrictions. In Costa Rica, the ombudsman service has the role of handling citizens' complaints against government actions. Since the pandemic forced the country into strict lockdown and extreme safety measures, people have complained.  Last week, Catalina Crespo, Ombudsman in Chief requested President Carlos Alvarado, a hearing to present a 24/7 vaccination campaign and discontinue the driving and commercial restrictions in the areas affected by massive floods and thunderstorms in July. In July, the Presidential Decree of National Emergency was enacted in 14 cantons over damages caused by the week-long thunderstorms and floods. According to the Ombudsman's Office, in less than five days the online form published on the organization's website to register the signature of citizens' support for the plan, reached the top of 7,000 signatures within five days. The government confirmed that due to the continuous increase in covid-19 cases in the country, the restrictions should continue until the highly expected herd immunity can be achieved. At least 83% of the population, about 4,274,344 million people in Costa Rica, must be fully vaccinated to keep infections down and achieve herd immunity, according to Social Security. Last week, records show that at least 3,424,278 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Vaccine National Information System report. ------------------------ How does the ban on driving restrictions help stop the virus from spreading in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com  Real Estate
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