The bus line once known as Transportes La Pampa, which has been serving passengers in Costa Rica since the 1950s, is facing serious accusations by investigative journalists and government agencies. The allegations are strong: Unpaid salaries, delinquent obligations with La Caja dating back to the 20^th century, antitrust violations, inciting bribes, fare gouging, and more. Should these accusations remain unsolved by September, this Guanacaste company could be forced to close.

TRALAPA is known by surfers, backpackers, migrant workers, expats, tourists, and locals alike as one of the most popular bus lines connecting several communities in Guanacaste with San Jose. It is one of Costa Rica’s most profitable bus lines as it provides service to Liberia, Santa Cruz and many of the Guanacaste beaches that are part of Costa Rica’s Gold Coast such as Playa Flamingo and Tamarindo Beach.

Leading the muckraking charge against TRALAPA is daily tabloid Diario Extra, a news publication feared by figures of both the government and private sectors in Costa Rica due to the doggedness of its journalists. Since early March 2014, Diario Extra has been covering the actions taken by the Public Transport Council and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Spanish initials: MOPT) against the troubled bus line, which allegedly has accumulated close to half a million dollars in delinquent social security obligations.

Pedro Castro, head of MOPT, told Diario Extra that his officials are investigating possible bribes paid by TRALAPA in exchange of permits granted to modernize its bus fleet despite a mountain of complaints filed by employees who claim that they have not been paid on several occasions.

The fare gouging allegations are based on pending investigations that the bus line claims to have thoroughly updated its fleet when in fact is still operating old buses from last century. Should TRALAPA lose its license to operate, passengers still have many choices around Guanacaste such as the elegant Marcopolo Paradiso 1800 double decker bus operated by Pulmitan, which connects San Jose with Liberia and Playas del Coco.