Electric Transportation, the New Transportation

The new green economic plan announced in February 2019 by our Costa Rican President, has led to major changes in the public and private transportation sector. The plan intends to motivate people to use public transportation by making it more efficient, and promote the use of electric cars that generate 0 emissions.

On Thursday the changes in the transportation sector began with the presentation of new turquoise license plates for electric cars. Not only will they have a striking plaque, but they will have several benefits such as free permission to enter the city of San Jose during restriction days. It is important to mention the vehicular restriction of the Great Metropolitan Area (GAM). During weekdays, affects two numbers each day (plates ending numbers 0-9)

However, electric cars have always been able to travel freely even with restrictions. By having a distinguishable plaque, the police will be able to identify which electric cars are allowed to transit freely through the streets during the hours of restriction and won’t stop them.

Depending on the regulations of the different municipalities, electric cars will not have to pay parking hours on public roads using the parking meter. They will also have preferential parking spaces in both the public and private sectors. As a key to the new decarbonization plan presented by the President of the Republic, they promise to install charging stations throughout the country. There is actually an estimate of 56 semi-fast recharge stations to supply energy. For example, Multiplaza of Escazú already has its special parking space painted in blue for electric cars and a charging station.

According to the law of incentives and promotion for electric transport, persons or companies that import electric cars will have an exoneration from the customs tax, selective consumption tax, and general sales tax. Depending on the import value of each car, 50%, 75% or even 100% of each tax can be exempted. In addition, as another stimulus for owning one of these electric vehicles, they will not pay property tax for 5 years from the day of its nationalization.

As stated in The Plan, it is believed that the implementation of clean energy should also be reached through education. The goal is to include information about zero emissions technology to professional education programs as well as instructing the people responsible for vehicular transportation fleets both in the public and private sector. In addition, to be able to travel freely without restrictions, have benefits in tax payments, and savings in gasoline, people can also avoid sonic contamination when driving cars that emit almost no noise