The New Year greeted Costa Ricans with a few unwelcome surprises.

The first of these was in the way of an increase of the tolls located on the highway that runs from San Jose to Caldera. According to the official press release given by Autopistas del Sol this adjustment was based on the devaluation that the American Dollar suffered during the last few weeks.

As of January first the stations in Escazú, San Rafael, Siquiares, Atenas and Pozón will charge drivers an extra ¢10 to pass through them. Drivers going through the Escazú station will now have to pay ¢300 instead of the ¢290 they had been paying before, while the station located in Pozón will now charge ¢590 and not ¢580. In total, any car driving through the four stations will pay an amount of ¢1.830 as opposed to the ¢1.740 they were being charged before the end of the year.

The only station that will maintain its current price is the one located in La Guacima, Alajuela. This toll stays at ¢330. This increment also applies to buses, vans and trailers. Depending on the size of the vehicle the amount paid will go from ¢200 to ¢590. However, many locals are criticizing this fluctuation in prices saying that the depreciation of the Dollar to the Costa Rican Colon in the last few months has not gone above 20 Colones (roughly 4%). By this logic Autopistas del Sol should be charging less and not more. So far the concessionaire has not addressed these concerns.

2012 also brings a considerable augmentation to traffic tickets. This automatic increase is of 14% and is based on the salary of a government aid. Last year the fine for speeding was ¢316.000, since January first drivers will have to pay ¢360.000 for going over the speed limit (¢44.000 more). Additional to this amount each fine comes with an extra 30% tax that goes towards “El PANI” (the National Childcare Institution). So the final amount paid for a speeding ticket will be ¢468.000.

Another common infraction for Costa Rican drivers is not paying their “Marchamo” on time. This year brings a ¢34.000 increase to the fine for not having this payment current; from ¢236.000 a ¢270.000. After the PANI tax the final amount is of ¢351.000. According to the National Insurance Institute (INS) to this date over 50% of Costa Rican drivers have still not paid for their Marchamo fee, this is roughly 235.500 vehicles.

As usual, the New Year brings an intensification of police presence on the main routes of the national highways to the various rural areas of the country. According to Cesar Quiros, Director of Traffic, the officer’s main concern will be the detection of drivers under the influence of mind-altering substances and vehicles going over the speed limit. The policemen will also be making sure that every car has all of its papers and permits up to date. Quiros stated that these operations will be constant throughout the summer and will also be taking place in different areas of the Central Valley.