New traffic law enforced
as lawmakers weigh changes


The new traffic law still was in a state of flux Monday even as the Policía de Tránsito set up checkpoints around the Central Valley and handed out more than 200 tickets. A number of vehicles were confiscated when drivers were found not to have valid licenses. In other cases, officers removed license plates from vehicles that had not been inspected for safety or which failed to have a valid road tax or marchamo sticker.

At the legislature, at least 12 lawmakers ducked the session that was supposed to get a start on making changes in the law.

Some said that a consensus was emerging on some items, such as reducing fines for non-life threatening faults. But lawmakers still were deadlocked over the level of alcohol in the blood that would constitute drunk driving.

The lawmakers who did show up handled 24 different motions of which 10 were approved. There are 213 motions on the table.

The actual content of the approved changes are not readily available. Lawmakers estimated that the consideration of the motions will last until at least the first two days of next week.

In the meantime, motorists who were ticketed Monday can hope that the violations they face will be among those for which lawmakers choose to reduce the fines.

Jorge Méndez, one lawmaker, said that he and his colleagues are inclined to cut the fines for violations that are not related directly to risk of human life. He mentioned reckless driving, which is one of the few sections of the traffic code that has been in force for more than a year.  For other violations, lawmakers might cut the fine by 50 percent. He mentioned parking next to a yellow line or driving with a burned out bulb.

In addition lawmakers may decide to increase the points that can be accumulated before a driver loses the license. Now the total is 50, but there is a movement to increase that total to 200, lawmakers said. They expressed concern for those persons who have to drive for a living and may lose their job is they lose the license. Some typical violations cost a driver 15 points as well as a fine.

The number of points is a controversial issue, as well as the level of alcohol permitted. The options are .5 grams of alcohol per liter of blood or .75 grams per liter, the difference between three and four beers for the average male. Some lawmakers also think that police should not confiscate the vehicle of a drunk driver if the individual has not caused an accident.


Sportsfishing competition
starts in Carrillo Thursday


Competition sportsfishermen will be in Carrillo this week for the 2010 Presidential Challenge of Central America.

The tournament begins Thursday with a rules meeting at Villas Playa Sámara. The sponsor, The Billfish Foundation, said that 14 teams have registered. The bulk of the boats are coming from Costa Rican ports.

"The Carrillo area is widely renowned for its marlin fishing, with Pacific blue, striped and black marlin all found here during this time of year, alongside the usually plentiful Pacific sailfish," said the foundation. "The opportunities for a Pacific grand slam of three different billfish species are quite good here."

Tournament rules mandate three anglers per team, each fishing one rod loaded with Berkley 20-pound test line, the foundation said, noting that circle hooks are also mandatory in Costa Rica. This type of hook allows quick release of the captured fish.

The event ends Sunday with an awards dinner.


Presidential vote is official


There were no surprises as the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones declared Laura Chinchilla Miranda the next president of Costa Rica. The report came as a decision by the tribunal magistrates Monday.

The decision said that the Partido Liberación Nacional had gained 896,516 votes in the presidential race of the 1,911,333 valid votes cast.

Also listed in the decree were Ms. Chinchilla's two vice presidents: Alfio Piva Mesén and Luis Liberman Ginsburg.

Ms. Chinchilla and her running mates take office May 8.

Rain and clouds in forecast
for Central Valley today


More rain is predicted for this afternoon in the Central Valley and on the Pacific coast. The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said that humidity and weaker winds are factors that will dominate the day with growing cloud cover in the late morning and afternoon.

Rain was inconsistent Monday. San José residents were watching the dark clouds and betting if rain would come. It did not. But in La Garita and in Heredia 24 mm or nearly an inch of rain fell between 3 and 5 p.m. Some winds damaged the roof of two homes in Heredia.

Isolated rains are predicted today for the Caribbean coast and northern zone.