With a bank loan from the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) the first hydrid public transportation buses will be running in Guanacaste.
Hybrid buses are quieter, cleaner and more fuel-efficient than standard diesel buses and reduce emissions of local pollutants and carbon dioxide by at least 30 per cent compared to conventional diesel buses.
The Guancaste transportation company, Reyna del Campo, said it obtained financing approval for US$400.000 dollars to modernize its fleet with Korean manufacturer, Daewoo, to be used on the Liberia-Puntarenas and Liberia-Cañas routes.
The BCR credit for the eco-friendly transportation is part of a cooperation agreement between the Costa Rican state bank and Korea’s Eximbank and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
The BCR’s financing is not limited just to Daewoo buses. Taxis and bus firms can choose electric vehicles and biofuels, financed by the bank at favourable terms. A condition of credit is that the operator must have a concession with the Consejo de Transporte Público (CTP).
