National Federation of Public Transport union members took to the streets of San José on Sept. 18 to protest a proposed public transport reform.
The tried-and-true protest technique, referred to as tortuguismo (as in tortuga, or turtle) is always a big hit with motorists and anyone else doing battle with San José traffic on a daily basis. In this case, the buses were lining up to protest changes the Ministry of Public Transport is considering to the rules related to the transport of students, workers and tourists.
Transport Vice Minister Liza Castillo told the daily La Nación that transport sector unions have a standing invitation to join the round tables discussing the proposed reforms, which are still in the drafting stage, but that the federation that staged the protest has refused to attend. The proposed reforms include changes to the maximum age of a licensed minibus (down to 15 years, from 20).
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