BRIEFS: Transportation

Drivers complain about road in veraguas

Ney Abdiel Castillo/LA PRENSA

bumpy ride: Bus and taxi owners say that bad roads in Veraguas have caused them to spend a lot on spare parts.1100191

The deterioration of the streets in the Santiago area of Veraguas has prompted concerns on the part of bus and taxi drivers in the area.

José Concepción, who represents the Punta Delgadita route, said that the poor condition of the roads have meant that bus and taxi owners have to spend more on spare parts, increasing their costs.

He said that many of the streets were built more than 10 years ago, so patching them is not a solution. While the government has promised to do the needed repairs, Concepción said that the work has not yet started.

The representative estimated that 80 percent of the area's roads are impassable for buses, and that even taxis can't make it through many of them.

Isaac Atencio, a spokesman for the taxi drivers, said that although some roads have been repaired, there are still many others in poor condition. José Echevers, regional director of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas in Veraguas, said that some 50 kilometers of roads have been repaired at a cost of $4 million. He said that the government also has a five-year plan to repair all the roads in the area.