QCOSTARICA – In a press conference Monday, the Minister of Transport (MOPT), Carlos Villalta, announced a plan to stagger works hours at public institution with the aims of reducing traffic congestion in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).
Villalta explained that, although the initiative is not new, public institutions will be asked to implement a staggered work schedule, to have public workers to be on the road at different times.
The minister added that his office, as an immediate solution to combat traffic chaos, among other measures, is working on getting a greater presence of traffic officials on the road.
Villalta took the opportunity to point out that driving while using a cellular phone (a traffic offence) is a leading cause of minor traffic accidents in the Central Valley, this affecting other drivers by creating congestion (due to the accident) and using up the limited resources of the Policia de Transito (traffic police), requiring an official to be present at the scene.
The announcement Monday follows last Thurday’s request by President Luis Guillermo Solis, from the Traffic Engineering department of the MOPT, of a detailed report on the vehicular congestion of the GAM.
But don’t expect anything to change anytime soon. Although the report was to have been delivered to the President on Monday, Villalta said it will be in “the coming days”.
