Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's Córpac (Corporation of Airports Civil Aviation) reported that the rehabilitation project in the airport FAP Alfredo Mendivil (in the region of Ayacucho ) have been taking place for a few months at present.

Thus, it is expected that all the work, which is being completed gradually, can be finished on December 23rd.

According to the terms of the contract, the investment will amount S/. 2,731, 998.62 (some US $900,000), reported El Comercio.

"The main objective is to correct the most deteriorated areas of pavement of the runway, according to the methods and standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization," said Hugo Tello Castillo, chairman of Córpac.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

According to an article printed today in El Comercio, Lima will face huge traffic jams and public transportation issues in 2010, since authorities have decided to get the project ready in only 16 months, which means they will be carried out simultaneously in seven avenues.

So the present traffic congestion in Lima due to the construction of the Metropolitano transportation system may seem like a piece of cake once the Electric Train construction actually starts: they could cause a “short-circuit” in the already shocked Lima transit system.

The reasons are mostly political in regards to the decision to end the works in 16 months. So it is very likely that all the avenues from Surco to Grau Avenue will have to be closed.

The supervision is going to be in the hands of a Peruvian company. However, it seems that nothing will prevent 2010 from being “The Year of Traffic Congestion.”

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Mototaxis, which actually are three-wheeled motorcycles with a light tent as a ceiling, are very commonly used vehicles in Peru, even for public transportation for short distances.

A group of Youngsters from England, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, New Zealand and the US participate in the “Junkey mototaxi,” which takes place for the first time in South America.

The ride, which has been partially sponsored by Huancayo's Municipality, seeks to raise funds to afford social projects, in this case harelip operations.

Each team, formed by 2 people, has the challenge to raise $1.500.

They plan to cross the Andes in a 4,000 kilometers journey, starting in Huancayo (Junín), and finally to arrive to Asunción, Paraguay's capital, in some 14 days.

The journey includes Bolivia and Argentina.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

In a meeting at Government's Palace with President Alan Garcia, Cajamarca's Regional President, Jesús Coronel Salirrosas, got financing for maintenance of some important  regional highways.

The government approved the allocation of S/. 391 million for the maintenance of 1,385 kilometers of  roads, for a period of five years; one of them is Cajamarca-Celendín-Balsas-Caclic and Pedro Ruiz, with an approximate amount of 65 million soles.

Another one of the routes is Pimentel-Chiclayo-Puente, Cumbil-Chota and Hualgayoc, that will receive S/. 135 million.

The highway Otuzco (La Libertad) –Huamachuco-Cajabamba-San Marcos-Cajamarca will have a S/. 105 million budget; and the route Cutervo-Chiple-Jaén-San Ignacio up to Puente Internacional de Balsas got a budget of S/. 85 million.

Coronel Salirrosas said that the respective contracts will be signed in a 15 days.

Several interested parties attended the meeting with President Garcia: Civil servants from the Ministry of Transport, from Provías Nacional, from the Cajamarca Regional Government, representatives from Chota and Cutervo, and from mining company Gold Fields.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's Transports and Communications Minister, Enrique Cornejo, said that investors from China, Brazil and Spain are interested in becoming in charge of the impending works for the completion of Lima's electric train.

The minister announced that his administration wants to get the bases for the public contest ready for today, so that within a week the tenders should be delivered, and the winners would be announced later this month.

He added that the winner will be in charge not only of the infrastructure, but also of the wagons and electrical system, as well as the line operations.

The Andean Corporation for Development (CAF) approved recently a credit of $ 300 million to complete these works, and according to Cornejo, this would accounts for 55% of the total estimated project cost.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

About 77,000 cars have been adapted to  run on Vehicular Natural Gas (GNV in Spanish) in Peru, and it is expected that this figure will rise up to 85,000 by the end of this year, said Jorge Juárez, President of the Peruvian Chamber of Vehicular Natural Gas.

These figures are very close to the 90,000 conversions that were foreseen, while the number of these conversions during 2008 was 57,419.

The average number of conversions per month is between 2,000 and 2,500 vehicles.

Juárez also stated that the granting of loans for these conversions continues without difficulties, and some S/. 80 million soles will have been used for this purpose by the end of this year.

 The average cost of converting a car into the GNV system in Peru is US $1,000 or US $ 1,200.

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In the jungle within the district of Puno, eight school children were killed, and another 40 people were injured when an omnibus fell into an abyss 150 meters deep. According to Peru21, the vehicle belonged to the company Perlas del Sur, and was rented for a school field trip.

The cause of the fall is unknown. Seven of the children were killed upon impact, while one died later in a local hospital.

The victims ranged in age from 15 to 17 years old, while those injured range from teachers to parents to classmates. The children were attending the Agro-industrial high school César Vallejo and were traveling to participate in the festival celebrating the anniversary of the district Alto Inambari.

The local police blame the 22 year-old driver for the accident, citing the fact that he did not carry a driver’s license nor was he insured with Obligatory Transit Accident Insurance (SOAT).

The Municipality of Miraflores, due to a educational campaign about safety in the streets, has reduced the number of transit accidents, according to El Comercio.

Juan Dulanto, Manager of Citizen Security in the Municipality of Miraflroes, states that “the first step in the improvements of the transit system began with the removal of combis from the streets Larco, Diagonal, Pardo and Benavides. Then, the fact that taxis were not allowed to stop in the avenue Larco […] And finally, the installation of smart stoplights and bus-stops on the principal streets.”

According to Luis Vargas, the assistant manager of Vehicular Traffic of Miraflores, stated that these measures have prevented the exponential increase in traffic accidents. He states that “between 2004 and 2007 there were between eight and ten traffic accidents a day. Now, the average is from four to five.”

Noise has also decreased, due to a campaign against the improper use of horns. Sound contamination has lowered 8 decibels, bringing the average sound level on Larco avenue from 70 decibels to 62.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Executive and the Regional Governments of Lambayeque, Piura and Cajamarca, and the mining companies currently executing projects in said regions, signed an agreement today, committing to work on the construction of the North Andean Railway, considered to be essential for the development of the country.

Peru's President, Alan García, explained that the North Andean Railway will allow the transport of all the minerals obtained from the mines near Cajamarca to Bayóvar Port (Piura), something that is quite impractical using only the regional roads.

The Peruvian leader said that this ambitious project will add two percentage points to the country's annual GDP growth because it will boost the economy of Cajamarca, Lambayeque and Piura regions.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Ferrocarril Transandino (Fetransa), rail concessionaire in Southern and Southeastern Peru, is currently evaluating the possibility of building a railway to connect Peru with Brazil, according to Rómulo Guidino, Fetransa's General Manager.

“We could connect Tirapata (near Juliaca), passing by Puerto Maldonado (Madre de Dios), to Iñapari (near the border with Brazil),” he told the press today, remarking that it could also be connected with the Brazilian city of Asis.

“A project of this magnitude would need an investment of over US$1 billion, with an average construction time from 5 to 7 years,” he said.

Guidino said that a document with the proposal will be ready by the end of 2009 or in 2010.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.