Starting this evening at 10 pm and continuing to 5 am and every day forward during the national emergency, for now until April 12, there is a nationwide vehicular restriction in effect.
The fine for violation is ¢22,187 colones, and although the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police) is the main enforcing agency, authorized officials of the Fuerza Publica and municipal police forces will be enforcing the restriction.
Again, the night restriction is for EVERY NIGHT and ALL OVER THE COUNTRY and to EVERY VEHICLE except:
- Vehicles for the transport of merchandise or cargo.
- Public transport vehicles in the form of a taxi, buses, minivans to transport workers, transportation to and from airports, as well as a cargo taxi, all authorized by the Consejo de Transporte Publica (CT) – Public Transport Council.
- People in the public or private sector with working hours that coincide with the 10 pm to 5 am restriction; whether they travel in a private vehicle “debidamente accreditada” (duly accredited) or any of the mentioned modalities.
- Vehicles that provide service and fuel supply, garbage collection and construction companies.
- Official emergency care vehicles, police forces.
- The public service support or maintenance staff of the ICE, AyA, Incofer, Civil Aviation, CNFL, Correos de Costa Rica and Recope.
- Vehicles of the MOPT and Conavi.
- The funeral service vehicles.
- Vehicles for the provision of home delivery services for food, pharmacy, and veterinary emergencies, duly accredited.
- The provision of the service of private surveillance or transport of securities.
- private vehicles of the staff of the emergency services, the Red Cross, the Fire Department, the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the Ministry of Health, or international organizations that participate in the attention of the national state of emergency or for the attention of an emergency proper to their work, who must wear their respective uniform or their institutional identification.
- The people belonging to the executive, legislative and judicial powers (courts), for the exercise of their respective tasks.
- Vehicles belonging to the international missions, diplomatic corps and the consular service.
- The personnel of the Judiciary with working hours included or that coincide with the time slot of the restriction, duly demonstrated.
- Health services personnel with working hours included or that coincide with the restricted hours.
- The personnel essential for the operation of operators and providers of telecommunications services, duly accredited.
- The indispensable personnel for the operation of the press and distributors of the media, duly accredited.
- The private vehicle that due to an emergency related to the life or health of a person, requires moving to a health facility or pharmacist.
The Minister of Security, Michael Soto, said that people must verify that they are subject to any of the exceptions mentioned, either through official ID, proof of employment stating their working hours and “the relationship with the exception”.
In the case of independent workers, ie sales and marketing, they must carry some support on their work that justifies their mobilization during the restricted time.
The director of the Policia de Transito, Germán Marín, that work schedules have been arranged to have between 200 and 240 working the night shift.
Typically a skeleton crew is on the night shift, mainly to respond to emergencies.
they made adjustments to the officers’ days in order to arrange between 200 and 240 traffic during the hours that the night restriction applies.
Marín insisted that the intention is not to generate a large number of traffic tickets, but that people understand the need to stay home as much as possible.
