Smart Mobility at Coyol Free Zone: Innovation in Action

Ride Coyol: A Smart Transportation Model for Sustainable Growth

September 16th, 2025. At Coyol Free Zone, we have developed an operational environment that drives the growth of specialized industries, integrating innovation into every aspect of the Park’s design and operation. As part of this vision, we implement smart mobility solutions that connect talent with quality employment opportunities, while optimizing resources and reducing environmental impact.

This commitment strengthens our sustainability strategy and operational efficiency, while enhancing the experience of the people working at the companies established in Coyol Free Zone.

We promote sustainable mobility as an essential component of responsible industrial development, through an organized, safe, and efficient transportation model that addresses urban growth challenges and the need to reduce emissions.

We provide an exclusive, centralized transportation system managed directly from the Park, reducing the use of private vehicles and facilitating the daily commute of thousands of employees from multiple regions across the country—including areas outside the Greater Metropolitan Area—towards Coyol Free Zone. To make this system safer, more convenient, and agile, we developed Ride Coyol, a digital mobility platform that is an integral part of our operational value proposition.

Ride Coyol: efficient connectivity and applied technology

Ride Coyol is an exclusive transportation platform that mobilizes more than 18,000 people daily to their workplaces through a network of optimized routes. Each day, more than 500 bus services are provided, covering 160 destinations in communities across Alajuela, Heredia, San José, and Cartago.

A smart management system was implemented through a digital platform, allowing users to access the service with QR codes and make payments via digital wallets. This eliminates paper tickets and streamlines boarding processes.

Digitalization not only improves the user experience but also generates key data to optimize routes, reduce travel times, and identify new origins. For example, 2024 records confirm that more than 50% of users reside in the province of Alajuela.

Reducing environmental impact through organized transportation

Organized mobility not only enhances daily operations but also represents a concrete contribution to environmental sustainability. Ride Coyol enables efficient commuting from diverse communities to the companies located in Coyol Free Zone, generating both operational and environmental benefits.

According to the 2017 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory by the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the transportation sector was responsible for 41.55% of greenhouse gas emissions in Costa Rica, with private vehicle use as the main driver.

This context highlights the relevance of collective transportation models such as the one we have developed in Coyol Free Zone, aligned with current environmental and urban challenges.

In addition, collective transportation efficiency has a direct impact on urban traffic. According to Costa Rican media reports, road expansion alone does not solve congestion due to induced demand; instead, route planning and shared transport represent more effective structural solutions, particularly in densely populated areas.

This model also optimizes resource consumption. Data from the European project ODYSSEE-MURE indicates that a bus can consume up to 2.1 times less energy per passenger-kilometer than a private car, andcar and generate up to 5.5 times fewer CO₂-equivalent emissions—confirming its role as a more efficient and sustainable alternative for mobilizing talent.

Finally, planned mobility is a key tool to promote access to employment. Ride Coyol addresses this need by offering direct, safe, and monitored routes that connect communities with quality job opportunities within the Park.

Real accessibility to employment: connecting talent with opportunities

Transportation is a determining factor for accessing formal, quality employment. At Coyol Free Zone, we ensure that employees have safe, efficient, and reliable means to reach their workplaces. This allows people from distant regions—who would otherwise face difficulties commuting—to effectively integrate into the productive sector.

“Companies benefit mainly from having a state-of-the-art digital system, developed to meet the specific needs of the Free Zone sector. Through digitalized processes and shared transportation, there is greater efficiency, security, and monitoring of personnel commuting to and from their workplaces.”
— Gonzalo Apéstegui, Facilities & Operations Manager, CODE Development Group, co-developer of Coyol Free Zone.

At Coyol Free Zone, we understand that sustainable mobility is a strategic condition for the success of the companies operating from our Park. Ride Coyol is an example of how we integrate technology, sustainability, and employee wellbeing to build solutions that truly make a difference.

Our mission is to continue implementing efficient systems that contribute to productivity, wellbeing, and environmental impact reduction.