Slow Moving Trucks Blocked Traffic to Protest Gas Prices in Costa Rica.

High gas prices have severely affected the world around us, making everyone’s commute more costly, goods more expensive, and life’s commodities reach prices never before known. It’s hard for us all, but for some, it’s worse. Indeed, Costa Rica’s fleet of commercial truck drivers have been feeling the heat, and yesterday, they decided to do something about it.

Many times, Costa Rica’s reputation for peace extends to protests staged due to civil discontent. Taxi drivers strike by refusing to pick anyone up for a day. Politicos walk the streets with colorful signs, making their voices heard about the latest referendum, and truck drivers, fed up with business-crippling and record-high fuel prices, block off the streets, causing hours of traffic jams and backups.

Yesterday, on July 7, a group of 60 commercial tractor trailers backed up the streets between El Coyol de Alajuela and Paseo Colón, on the western side of San José downtown. The drivers employed a [highly useful] tactic known as tortuguismo, or essentially, driving at a turtle’s pace, demanding that the national government find a solution to the rising cost of fuel.

The truck drivers’ methods were immediately seen, causing significant, traffic jams that lasted for hours on the highway between Alajuela and San José. The protest began at 8:30am in Alajuela, and the trucks, using their massive bulk, blocked all lanes heading into San José. When they arrived at Paseo Colón, the 15 lead trucks continued slowly on to the Casa Presidencial, Costa Rica’s seat of the federal government. The other 45 trucks dispersed to go about their daily deliveries.

Though the trucks are members of different unions, they said that yesterday’s events do not represent the beliefs of, nor were they organized by, any union. They were the actions of the drivers alone. However, 60 truck drivers in joint protest is a likely indication of many drivers’ feelings, and is a strong action to have taken.

The carriers have demanded that the Costa Rica government eliminate the taxes on diesel, as has been discussed at length over the last several weeks. However, the truck drivers also demand that prices on gasoline not be raised, a measure that would help the government make up for lost diesel taxes. As it stands, if taxes on diesel are eliminated and those on gasoline raised, diesel will decrease ¢97.50 per liter (an approximate decrease of $0.75 per gallon), regular gasoline will increase by ¢135 per liter (about a $1.03 increase per gallon), and super gasoline will go up by ¢145 (more than $1.10 per gallon).

The tractor trailer drivers would like the government to look for other solutions to the taxes lost by eliminating the diesel tax, and are adamant that fuel prices should not go up any more. In addition, they are fighting for strong control of foreign trucks that come into Costa Rica to take advantage of its low diesel costs.

It was a peaceful protest, but one full of emotion and current events. Perhaps of all those affected, the country’s truck drivers have most felt the repercussions of higher gas prices, and they have begun to fight for their livelihood. Only time will tell how the government will react.

Photo Courtesy of La Nacion.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on July 8th, 2008