By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - In Panama the government establishes the highest prices gas stations can charge at the pumps based on a complex formula. The prices are adjusted every two weeks. This time around the prices are going up to $4.39 for a gallon of 95 octane gas, $4.11 for a gallon of 91 octane gas, and $3.98 for a gallon of diesel. So you can save yourself a few bucks if you tank up on Friday before the new prices go into effect on Saturday. These prices will be in effect for the next two weeks.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

More than 300 traffic police officers from the Directorate of Traffic Operations of the National Police will be deployed on Monday morning, 27 February 2012, to the points of the greatest levels of traffic congestion, on the first day of the new school year. Teofilo Moreno, Director of Traffic Operations, told RPC Radio that besides coordinating the traffic police units in the main avenues, units will be located in the busiest school zones to avoid risk of accidents. They will also deploy traffic police officers to conflict zones, such as intersections where there are no traffic lights, or where they are damaged such as in the case of the intersection of Avenue 12 October with Transístmica and Fernandez de Cordoba. The operation began at 6:00 am with 300 traffic police officers on their regular shifts, an additional 90 officers will be coordinating in the school zones, and there will be reserve personnel available for any eventuality. Moreno said according to reports from the public, they will deploy the traffic officers to the points where they are most required. (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: The 2012 school year starts on Monday, 27 February 2012. This day - the first day of school - is normally one huge massive city-wide kluster %uck of the first order. Parents who don't normally drive their kids to school all go because they want to personally drop them off on the first day, so there's a lot of new cars on the road that are normally parked. School bus drivers are trying to learn their new routes and to find little Juan's house - and now he's lost, and now he's in a hurry. Of course all of the teachers and administrators also have to get to school - summer vacation is over. And then add all of that on top of the already screwed up traffic situation in Panama City thanks to the construction of the Metro subway system, bridges and overpasses, new roadways, etc. Yeah, I think I might try to work from home on Monday. Or maybe I'll move to Colorado (Google search - "fewest cars per capita"...)

Gasoline prices will increase in Panama tomorrow. 91 Octane will rise to $3.99 per gallon, and 95 octane will rise to $4.27 per gallon. These new prices are very close to the three year highs reached in April and May 2011, according to an official statement released today. The new prices will be in effect until 9 March, said the statement from the Ministry of Energy. 91 octane will increase 30 cents per gallon, and 95 octane will increase nine cents per gallon. Also, diesel will go up five cents to $3.80 per gallon.

According to data from the Ministry of Energy, the new gasoline prices are approaching the highs of the past three years, which occurred in May and April 2011, when 95 octane gasoline reached $4.58 per gallon and 91 octane was $4.02 per gallon. On 19 April 2011 the government of Panama and Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli approved a temporary reduction in the fuel tax that only applied to 91 octane gas and diesel, to keep their prices from exceeding a maximum of $3.99 and $3.80 per gallon, respectively. The Ministry of Economy and Finance reported at the time that the gas tax on 91 octane was reduced to 25 cents per gallon, but nothing further.

Tensions over Iran, which has threatened to cut off supplies to several European countries in the context of tensions over its nuclear program, have boosted international prices of crude oil. Texas Intermediate Crude Oil was trading on Friday at $108.22 a barrel at the opening of the New York Mercantile Exchange, or $0.39 over yesterday's close, while Brent crude was quoted in London at $124.12, or $0.50 more than the previous day.

Prices of petroleum products are established in Panama every fourteen days based on a complex formula that takes into account the international price of a barrel, transport costs and logistics, plus local taxes, in the case of gasoline is 60 cents per gallon and 25 cents for diesel. (Telemetro)

As of 11:00 am this Saturday morning, the first day of Carnival celebrations in Panama, the National Police said through a press release they have already issued 1,940 traffic tickets to drivers, mostly for talking on the cell phone while driving. Despite campaigns against talking on a cellphone while driving, because of the serious consequences this practice can cause, people insist. The fine for this infraction is $75 according to the ATTT. Traffic authorities asked drivers to please adhere to the provisions of the rules of the road to avoid accidents. The National Police used the "pele police" handheld data systems to make checks of 1,309 people. In addition 453 cars were checked. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Really? I thought the Supreme Court issued a ruling that was keeping the National Police from using the "pele police" systems until the case was decided. They must have appealed or something.

The Albrook bus terminal was crowded this morning, Friday, 17 February 2012, as thousands of Panamanians head towards the interior of the country to enjoy the four days and five nights of carnival. According to the administration of the Albrook terminal 2,600 buses will be transporting travelers to different parts of the country. Despite the mass exodus, at noon, the transition from the Bridge of the Americas to the Arraiján – La Chorrera highway was fluid, and there were no traffic jams reported. However, by late afternoon the road to the Bridge of the Americas was getting congested, as confirmed by photographs sent by TVN News cameraman, Pompilio Campos, who has been in the area since this morning. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: If you're driving towards the interior for carnival, take your time. You'll get there, eventually. Patience...

Many citizens have approached the kiosks that have been installed in one of the main commercial centers in the area of 24 de Diciembre to buy the new electronic swipe cards that will be used to pay for bus fare on the Metro Bus system, but already some people have had problems when they tried to recharge the cards. One citizen said he bought a card for $10 and when he tried to recharge it he could not, because they told him the machine had been damaged. The use of the card has mixed reviews among Panamanians. Some believe the system could help streamline the boarding procedures for the Metro Bus system, but others are confused. Once the card is purchased, it has to be recharged in order to board the Metro Bus. The government and businesses Mi Bus and Sonda have announced that starting on 15 February 2012 passengers will only be allowed to board the Metro Bus system by paying with the new cards. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: So, today is the last day to get the card if you ride the Metro Bus system. I recommend to anyone who lives in Panama most of the time to buy one of these cards, load it with about $5 bucks or so, stick it in your wallet, and forget about it. You never know when you might need to quickly hop on a bus to take an unexpected ride (car breaks down, whatever) and if you don't have one of these cards you won't be able to just pay with cash. Better to keep your options open.

Confident they are acting according to law, the administration of the Grand National Transport Terminal in Albrook has decided to continue with their decision to increase the departure fee to 10 cents, despite a resolution from the Ground Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) issued on Friday that ordered the temporary suspension of this fee increase, which was 5 cents. In a statement, the Terminal Administration explained they have five working days to file a motion asking for reconsideration to the ATTT resolution, "so therefore the suspension order is not firm and therefore, until that occurs, the increase will be maintained." (Telemetro)

Editor's Comment: There are turnstiles at the bus terminal in Albrook. You buy your ticket to wherever you want to go inside of the terminal, and the buses are parked outside. You have to pay a user fee in order to leave the terminal area to board the bus, when you go through the turnstile. The administration of the terminal has decided to increase the fee from 5 cents to 10 cents, arguing they have never had a fee increase in the past eleven years that the terminal has been operating, and their costs have increased. Some people ride these buses every day to and from work, so this increase would directly impact their bottom line, significantly.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla - ALAS International Holdings Inc. announces that the PV Enterprises team has been working extensively to complete and sign an agreement with local authorities to establish ferry services between Panama (Port Colon 2000) and Colombia (Port of Cartagena). The 30,000 GRT 650-ft ferry that accommodates 1,600 passengers will commence daily express service between the bustling port of Colon, Panama and Cartagena de Indies, Colombia in late March/early April. The vessel can accommodate 160 trucks and up to 400 cars in addition to the 1,600 passengers. The future vision of the company is to expand the ferry operation in late 2012 to engage more islands and major ports. (Press Release)

Editor's Comment: Very cool. I don't know how much this ferry service will cost, but it's probably going to be cheaper than flying. Nice upgrade. And, it will probably put all of the sailboats carrying backpackers out of business. That's probably a good thing, because many of these operators are dangerous. A handful (like Capt. Jack) are responsible, but the dangerous drunks seem to outnumber the responsible professionals by about three to one. And, there's no oversight or government regulation.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Drivers are reporting that the roadways in the Western part of the Province of Panama (La Chorrera and Arraijan) are open and traffic is flowing. Apparently earlier reports of a road closure in Arraijan were false, incorrect, or misinformed.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

Activity at the Enrique Malek International Airport in the city of David, has increased by 30% due to the closure of the Inter American highway since 31 January 2012 by Ngäbe Bugle Indians who oppose mining in the region, and who required the reincorporation of Article 5 into Bill Number 415, which establishes a special regime for the mineral resources, water and environmental issues in the region, and which was agreed upon in 2011. Rafael Fuentes, the administrator of the Enrique Malek airport, said the situation is under control in all activities of the airport.

On the other hand, Nestor Echevers, the manager of Aeroperlas, one of the two domestic airlines, said his company is considering adding a second flight from Panama to David (at 6:50 pm) depending on the number of passengers approaching the terminal. That flight would return at night with passengers from the city of David to the capital, said Echevers on TVN Noticias.

La Prensa could confirm that in the airport in David there are more people than normal, because the land communication is interrupted by closing Ngäbe-Bugle Indians who have warned that the road will not be reopened until the authorities come to talk to them at the site where they are protesting. The people who have come to the airport in David say they have no other option than to return to Panama via plane, and they questioned the authorities who have not sought the way to end the closure of the international route. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Right now if you have to get there, flying is your only valid option.