In a few weeks the rules of parking on the streets of San José will change with the introduction of the modern parking meters.
Currently, street parking in San José is charged only between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm weekdays. However, with the introduction of the new meters, parking will be charged between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm from Monday to Saturday.
The cost for street parking – at least for now – will be ¢255 colones for every 30 minutes. The fine for violation is ¢4.500 colones.
The Municipalidad de San José (Muni) expects to take in some ¢500 million colones a year from parking – charge for parking space and fines.
Currently, there are 1.450 street parking spaces in San José, with plans to double that with more like in areas around the Hospital Mexico, La Sabana, La Uruca, Zapote and San Francisco de Dos Rios.
The new parking meters will start working after Semana Santa (Easter Week), when the Muni begins operating 67 machines that are used to obtain parking slips by way of electronic payment.
The machines will spit out a printed slip to be placed on a car’s windshield (on the dash really so as not to be stolen).
The concept is not much different than the current system of slips for parking. What is different is that users do not have to go looking for a vendor, the slips are obtained from the machines.
To get a slip, a user has to set up an account, which can by issued by way of a text message from a cellular phone or the internet or a prepaid card.
Does anyone know that the installed cost is for these very elaborate meters? How long will it take for them to pay for themselves? What do you do if the system is down?
As to costs, see https://qcostarica.mystagingwebsite.com/2013/02/28/san-joses-electronic-parking-meters-after-easter/
Now, if a meter breaks down, that will be interesting.