SIGN UP FOR OUR By Wendy Anders
A family in Escazú forced into the street by a taxi parked on a sidewalk, photo published by the Accidentes en Costa Rica Facebook group.
This Monday, a draft “Framework for Safe and Sustainable Mobility of People” was presented to the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly by Legislator Marcela Guerrero, as reported in elperiodicocr.com, a digital Spanish news source.
The proposed law aims to improve people’s ability to get around by foot, bike and public transportation by creating safe and sustainable pedestrian transit spaces.
The proposal has the support of legislators from the Civil Action Party (PAC), Broad Front (FA), National Liberation Party (PLN), and the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), and from civil society groups such as Aconvivir (a road safety group), and Chepecletas (a recreational biking group).
The project envisions eliminating the Public Transport Council (CTP) and establishing a new paradigm of mobility that prioritizes pedestrian zones, cycle paths and public transport, as well as including plans for safe and sustainable mobility in the country’s national development plan.
“This project is in response to civil society’s needs; we have a void of public policies in sustainable and safe mobility, so we are proposing this project as a state policy,” said PAC’s Guerrero, who is the driving force behind proposal.
The proposal would modernize bus transportation by creating an efficient and integrated bus route system, including mass high-capacity buses, GPS in buses, electronic collection and bus terminals.
In addition, safe and sustainable mobility would be declared a national priority and public interest, so that all state institutions and local governments would be obliged to collaborate and implement the necessary actions to achieve a secure and sustainable mobility system.
