QCOSTARICA – The sanitary vehicle restriction on weekends must be eliminated, as a matter of urgency, according to the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations (Fedecámaras) in a letter addressed to Daniel Salas, Minister of Health.
This represents an impediment for families to visit national parks and other cities, which in turn, generates a blow to tourism, they argue.
“Many SMEs (small and medium-sized businesses) in the interior of the country are being affected by this provision, such as hotels, restaurants, tourism companies and the entire industrial and agricultural chain,” said Francisco Llobet, president of Fedecámaras in the letter to the minister.
Under his logic, the reopening of businesses of all kinds and the end of the vehicular restriction due to Covid-19 on Saturdays and Sundays, would promote the necessary production and sales levels, reduce unemployment levels and increase tax collection.
Currently, on weekends, the daytime vehicular restrictions for the entire country is from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm, on Saturdays only vehicles with even ending plates (0, 2, 4, 6 & 8) can circulate and odds (1, 3, 5, 7, & 9) on Sundays.
During the week, the daytime restrictions, also from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm, based on the last digit of the license plate – 1 & 2 on Mondays, 3 & 4 on Tuesdays, 5 & 6 on Wednesdays, 7 & 8 on Thursdays and 9 & 0 on Fridays – apply only to downtown San Jose.
The nighttime restrictions are from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am from Mondays to Sundays and are countrywide.
Click here for the official website for the current vehicular restrictions.
Click here for the official exemptions.