Carabinero estimates that some 408,000 vehicles will leave the capital for the long weekend of Holy Week. In addition, the Ministry of Transportation indicated that they expect some 200,000 people to travel by bus during these dates. It is estimated that there are a thousand departures between Thursday and Sunday from the Central Station terminals.
Given this, from the portfolio they reported the reinforcement plan in public transport for this Thursday, contemplating Transantiago buses, Metro and EFE trains.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aeronautical Board expects that 260,000 people will board from the Santiago airport with different destinations, both national and international. It is estimated that 71% of passengers will use national routes, while 29% will travel on international routes.
According to Transport, 60% will be mobilized by international routes, comparing Easter 2019, while for national routes, 85% will do so compared to the year before the pandemic.
Greater control
One of the measures contemplated by the Government for these dates is the intensification of controls on intercity and rural buses starting this Monday. 4,500 procedures are projected nationwide.
“We want to detect the largest number of risk situations that can end in a traffic accident. That is why we will carry out nearly 4,500 inspections, but our efforts will not be enough, we need everyone’s collaboration,” said the Minister of Transport, Juan Carlos Munoz.
He also indicated that there will be “emphasis on the technical and safety conditions of the vehicles, the control of the sanitary protocols arranged for this type of trip, as well as the possible presence of informal transport services outside the main terminals of the country” .
Under that line, the general of Carabineros, Marcela Gonzalezhead of the Traffic, Roads and Road Safety Zone, reported that “we are going to be carrying out checks on bus drivers, for people’s peace of mind. We are going to be carrying out alcohol tests and drug tests.”
Regarding traffic accidents, the police authority reported that to date there have been 519 deaths in traffic accidents. “We make a call. This has been an increase of 32% compared to last year. It is quite important to reduce the number of deaths in traffic accidents, which increase during these holidays.”
In addition, he made the call not to chat while driving, this is guided by the No Chat Law, which has been in force for a month and penalizes people who use their cell phones while driving.
Meanwhile, the national director of the National Service for the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Drug and Alcohol Consumption (Senda), Charles Charmeassured that “in the Easter period of 2021, more than 1,300 controls were carried out and for this year we plan to increase this type of control by more than 300% in both Alcotest and Narcotest for drivers of any type of vehicle.”
Finally, the executive secretary of Conaset, Karina Munozmaintained that “we ask for special respect for speed limits, a great problem on our streets and highways, being the first cause of fatalities in traffic. We also call to avoid distractions while driving, which has become another important reason loss of life in traffic.
