www.CostaRicaTicas.com

For those that live or visit here frequently, they know that the highway (or Pista) going from Parque Sabana towards Escazu and Santa ana has been under construction for quite a while. They're widening it and improving the pavement, etc.. This is part of the renovation for the new highway to Jaco. They also put in a new Toll Booths going both ways (it used to be one way).

In their wisdom, they designed the roads around the toll booths without any kind of water drainage. So when it rains hard, water pools and creates a perfect hydroplaning surface. Not good for a place where people have to slow down for toll booths and lots of traffic.

In addition, they raised the toll from c75 to c310, more than 4x the original toll and more than any other toll in the country by twice. This is especially hard hitting for locals who only go back and forth to Multiplaza. That's roughly $.50 each way, which is a lot of money to a tico.

Those of us who hail from states that have toll booths are pretty used to paying .50 or .75 or even $1 for tolls, but we make a lot more money on average, and we have a lot more infrastructure for people to take alternate routes. There is only one other road that goes that way, Calle Vieja (the old road) and it's going to get a lot more crowded. already during busy times it can take an hour to drive a few Kilometers.

This is a serious Muy Tico moment. Who decided they could not only quadruple the price, but charge you both ways (effectively raising the toll 8x) in one fell swoop? I don't udnerstand these guys.

Oh, and one other thing. Why c310? This means everyone has to sit there and get change. c300 would be far more convenient and less hassle to everyone. I guess they needed a reason to make the tollbooth guys work.

Does anybody know if this is one of the new privatized operations? I heard that was how they were finally going to get the road to Jaco built, turn it over to a for-profit outfit and let them charge as much as they can. Can anyone say who's in charge of this new project?

_________________
"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis

I remember a couple years ago an expat telling me that the Ticos raised so much hell protesting one toll increase that they dropped the toll price back down.

Yes this is a concession. The government tried and failed to build this highway over a 30 year period.The highway, including the widening of the section the Mad German refers to, is being built and financed by a Spanish consortium. They have the contract to not only complete the road but also to maintain it for a fixed amount of years. They will get their investment back as well as their profit from the collection of tolls. This is no different from the arrangement that states entered into with turnpike authorities years ago to build turnpikes without the state putting up the money.

The muy tico thing off course is the 310 colones toll. Whatever logic the company and the government agency who had to approve the amount to not just make it 300 colones is baffling to say the least.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I remember reading in La Nacion it was the same company doing the jaco highway revamp and they havent received any payments yet, possibly this is how they plan to pay them.

BEANCOUNTERS!!!

_________________
Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

It amazes me that there is no thought given to the convenience of those involved (not just the customer, but the employees too).

Take for example, the bus. If you've ever ridden the bus, you know they usually have various fares, and it's not uncommon to see something like c265. You get on, and the bus driver has this big block of styrofoam or wood with blocks cut out to hold change of various denominations (another stupid thing, they have about 20 different kinds of coins in circulation). So the bus driver has to make change for people.. it's just really dumb. Make it convenient, then say "no change given", it saves everyone a lot of hassle.

Not sure I follow the logic here. On one hand you are concerned about the cost to a person who has sufficient money to own a car and shop at an upscale mall:



While on the other hand you suggest that a poorer Tico who rides the bus should be punished for not having the exact change.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

If it's convenient, then it's not much of a problem..

I don't know of any bus system in a major country where the drivers make change for the riders.

I rode buses for the first 18 months I lived here and never found the driver making change a problem or even an inconvenience but I guess that's a YMMV type thing.

Since when did CR become a major country? I think if you want to compare the CR bus system to other countries you should use other third world countries for comparison. I don't know of many bus systems in major countries were the average fare is less then .45 cents.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I agree the bus system here is cheap. And yeah, making change can be a problem, especially when the bus stops and 50-100 people are getting on (which is common downtown and at major points) and each one has to make change. Meanwhile, traffic is building up behind the bus and it's causing a major traffic headache.

I'm not saying it's bad, i'm saying it just doesn't make a lot of sense from a convenience standpoint.

They should have made the toll 299....then almost no one would ask for change and the attendant could pocket a nice piece o change every xmas.

but if they made it 301 that same bastard living large every xmas would have backed up traffic every single time someone tried to slide by with an even 300.

oh boy, its fun chatting with you JA!!

Maybe the "10" of the 310 is to get more of the 5 and 10 coins back to the banks. I've seen on the news a few times that they are running short of these 5 and 10 coins.

But, if this is a private concession, then my theory would weigh less, I guess.

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Seems "change" is always difficult to find in latin america....even small bills in some countries (Mexico in particular). There must be profit angle somewhere/somehow.