Ever have your plans go awry due to the license plate restrictions that limit your movement in and around the downtown San José area?

Well, the newly approved traffic regulations, which include stiffer fines for several infractions, and also provisions for cars being ticketed for parking in no-parking areas, also include a perk for eco-friendly vehicles.

Vehicles considered eco-friendly – electric, hybrid, and even LPG-burning vehicles – can circulate whenever they like in San José, while others must stay out of the central restriction zone one day per week depending on the last number of their license plate.

As Blue Flame, a liquid gas distributor in Costa Rica explained on their Facebook page, “LP gas is derived from oil but it is a gas. Therefore its combustion is easier than liquid hydrocarbons meaning it doesn’t generate solid particle pollution, and its combustion is complete: 99.5 percent of its mass is burned and the remaining 0.5 percent is water vapor.”

The company estimates converting a vehicle to LPG can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the car make, and savings can be as great as 40 percent in fuel costs. Plus there are additional benefits to using a cleaner burning fuel, such as less fumes and contamination, and fewer particles in the engine and filters.

The trick to having an LPG vehicle is learning where to refuel, as not all gas stations offer the service. Blue Flame said they are working to increase the accessibility of LPG cylinders for converted vehicles.