Wheels Come Off Two Bus Firms

Two bus lines have been stripped of their concessions to operate after the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) found their service and vehicles to be in poor shape.

The routes affected are the San José-Quesada Durán (a southeastern San José neighborhood) and the San José-San Vicente (in the province of Cartago, east of San José), the daily La Nación reported.

MOPT Vice Minister Viviana Martín told the daily that officials discovered three of the buses running the Quesada Durán route were operating illegally, not having passed the mandatory inspection all vehicles must undergo every year.

Autotransportes Quesada Durán, the company running the bus line, immediately stored the vehicles, interrupting the bus service and giving MOPT cause to strip it of its concession, La Nación reported.

Another transport company, Cesmag, which currently operates buses in the eastern San José municipality of Montes de Oca, has taken over the route temporarily.

Meanwhile, Autotransportes HUBA, which runs the San Vincente route, had its concession stripped for failing to pass inspections. The vice minister said the bus line failed inspections in 2007, and surprise inspections this year uncovered mechanical problems with the buses, as well as conditions that do not meet code, such as too little space between seats.

The owner of the company admitted to La Nación that it had some buses that were “malitos,” or a little bit bad, but that the score on its inspection was mistaken. The company has appealed MOPT’s decision.