QCOSTARICA – Ruta 1 users who purchased the device to pay the toll rate electronically will have to continue waiting to see if at some point exclusive lanes are enabled that allow them to pass through without stopping, as it is done on the Ruta 27.
Everything will depend on more drivers deciding to purchase the device and generating a demand high enough to establish a lane just for them, according to the Fideicomiso Ruta Uno (Ruta Uno Trust), in charge of the collection of tolls at Rio Segundo (east of the San Jose airport) and Naranjo.
In an announcement on Monday, Ruta Uno Trust reported a low demand from users with the TAG device payment system or Quickpass in the first week of the service, which does not yet merit generating special conditions.
“The reason is that to be able to include an exclusive lane, the demand of users must be quite high, and until now only 20% vehicles with devices, with this number we would be with insufficient capacity to enable it, and deteriorating the service for the rest of users,” detailed the Trust.
The lack of dedicated lanes was a recurring complaint from drivers who purchased the electronic device with the intention of avoiding congestion, finding themselves in line with all the other drivers that do not have the device.
The Trust stressed that as an encouragement for more drivers to use electronic payment, users should have to not stop completely to make the payment, but only slow down.
Contrary to those who pay in cash, who must stop completely, whom the Trust urges to have exact change to speed up the payment process.
The current tolls on the Ruta 1:
The Ruta Uno Trust, operated by the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) was created in accordance with the provisions contained in Law No. 9292, the highway corridor and its radii are made up of the General Cañas highway and the Bernardo Soto highway, according to the following:
- SECTION 1: Sabana – Circunvalación with an estimated total length of 1.6 km.
- SECTION 2: Circunvalación – Juan Santamaría Airport, with an estimated total length of 12.6 km.
- SECTION 3: Juan Santamaría airport -San Ramón, with an estimated total length of 41.05 km.
The Ruta Uno Trust gave a start order on April 21, 2020, for the design and construction of the first highway expansion works through the Programa de Obras Impostergables (OBIS) while developing the feasibility studies of the comprehensive project (expansion of the complete road corridor.
These OBIS will be permanent works that will improve the viability and safety of the Ruta 1, prior to the construction of the comprehensive project, which is expected to begin its design and construction stage in 2023.