Gas and Bus Prices Up Again for Costa Rican Commuters.

Both drivers and bus riders are feeling the pinch of high gasoline prices, as pump receipts and bus fares continue to increase. Today and in the coming weeks, belts will be tightened even more, as the Costa Rica government approves even higher hikes in gasoline and diesel prices, jacking up the cost to fill your tank and forcing public transportation to raise their rates as well.

The Costa Rican Crude Oil Refinery (Recope) today raised at-the-pump prices: diesel costs were increased by ¢88 per liter (approximately $0.67 per gallon) and gasoline by ¢60 per liter (about $0.46 per gallon). To fill up your diesel-fueled truck in Costa Rica now costs ¢710 per liter, or $5.43 per gallon. To fill up your gasoline-powered car, prepare to pay about $5.38 per gallon for regular gasoline. To put this into real terms, a 45-liter gasoline tank (12 gallons) now costs ¢32,000 to fill up, as opposed to last week’s ¢28,000. The difference of ¢4,000 is approximately $8.08.

Recope has further plans to raise fuel costs, including a not-yet detailed plan to increase pump costs by ¢24 per liter for a 6-month period (August 2008-January 2009). With that increase, the organization hopes to cover a cost deficit of ¢32,300 million (approximately $65.25 million) incurred since August 2007. Recope asked the Public Services Regulatory Authority (Aresep) to consider this an extraordinary increase, which would allow for a quick increase, to be approved for one month from now.

On Friday, Recope also asked for an additional extraordinary increase, hoping to raise regular gasoline by ¢17 per liter ($0.13/gallon), super gasoline by ¢15 per liter ($.11/gallon) and diesel by ¢16 per liter ($0.12/gallon). If Aresep approves both extraordinary increases, gas prices will rise to ¢755 per liter for super ($5.77/gallon), ¢744 for regular ($5.69/gallon) and ¢750 per liter for diesel ($5.73/gallon).

Drivers are not the only ones experiencing gasoline pains, as public bus fares are set to rise in the coming month of August. Prices have not yet been set in stone, though Aresep projects an approximate 12 percent increase on all fares. For example, Sabana-Cementerio will rise from ¢100 to ¢110 ($0.02 change), San José-Escazu will change from ¢225 to ¢250 ($0.05 raise), San José-Liberia will increase from ¢2,575 to 2,875 ($0.61 increase) and San José-Heredia (via Tibás) will go up from ¢335 to ¢375 (a difference of $0.08). These fare increases may seem small, but a San Pedro-Escazu daily commute (5 days weekly) will now cost ¢23,600 monthly (about $47.47).

The new bus fares have not yet been approved and Aresep has called a conference/debate for July 24, at 5 p.m. in the sede central de la Autoridad, in Sabana Sur. An important issue on the table will the the approximate 12 percent fare increase, in comparison to the 6.5 percent salary increase for all private sector employees.

With a rising dollar and increasing fuel prices, Costa Rica has some tough decisions to make, as it tries to maintain a balance between the well being of its people and the state of its national budget. For the moment, small increases are bearable, if difficult, but over time, tiny increases equal a large change that many, both drivers and bus riders alike, may not be able to handle.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on July 15th, 2008