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Costa Rica to drop weekend driving restriction in September

Costa Rica will drop its weekend daytime driving restrictions starting in September, according to reports from La Nación and CRHoy.

In August and for the past several months, circulation on the weekends has been restricted based on the last digit of a vehicle’s license plate. That measure — meant to reduce mobility and traffic accidents in context of the Covid-19 pandemic — will be lifted starting Saturday, September 4.

The nighttime restrictions (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and weekday restrictions will remain unchanged.

These will be Costa Rica’s vehicular restrictions in September:

  • Monday: Vehicles with plates ending in 1 and 2 cannot circulate.
  • Tuesday: Vehicles with plates ending in 3 and 4 cannot circulate.
  • Wednesday: Vehicles with plates ending in 5 and 6 cannot circulate.
  • Thursday: Vehicles with plates ending in 7 and 8 cannot circulate.
  • Friday: Vehicles with plates ending in 9 and 0 cannot circulate.
  • Saturday and Sunday: All vehicles can circulate (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

The typical list of exceptions — which includes rental vehicles, people driving to/from a hotel reservation, people driving to/from the airport and people driving to/from work or school — will continue to apply. The official list of exceptions can be found here.

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