Novelo’s Bus Line opens new routes
Bus riders from Hattieville, Ladyville, Mile Eight, and Maxboro may find their commute a little less arduous thanks to the addition of eight buses to the Novelo’s fleet. The reconditioned vehicles will be dedicated to servicing those four communities, hopefully sparing commuters the indignity of waiting in vain as overcrowded buses fly past, leaving them stranded on the roadside. At a brief ceremony in Belize City this morning, C.E.O. of Novelo’s Bus Line Limited, David Novelo, said the “new” buses will go a long way toward improving service to residents of these growing satellite communities.
David Novelo, C.E.O., Novelo’s Bus Line
“If we take for example, Ladyville. Ladyville has expanded considerably, as has Lord’s Bank. So these buses will basically be originating from the different areas, not on the highways, but will actually be going through the streets of these communities. So for people that have to walk, let’s say in Lord’s Bank, from Lord’s Bank to the main highway, it’s approximately two miles and a half, so this will allow people to access these buses in their community without having to go to the roadside.”
The eight buses were purchased for a total of two hundred thousand dollars. The new service begins on Wednesday with fares remaining the same as before.
And speaking of finances, Novelo went on to tell News 5 that despite all the controversy over his company’s enormous loans and precarious cash flows, the carrier is on its way to getting its house in order.
David Novelo
“As the new Chief Executive Officer of Novelo’s, we have basically restructured the company, installed an new financial comptroller and an H.R. manager, restructured the whole company geared towards reducing overhead costs and ensuring that the company becomes viable and profitable. I am very confident of the people who are working with me. I believe as well that right now our company has taken the initiative to resume negotiations with government for fiscal incentives, which we don’t have.”
Brent Toombs
“What type of fiscal incentive are you talking about?”
David Novelo
“We’re talking about parts, tires, equipment, possibly fuel. Fuel has gone up substantially, for the past two years it has gone up about forty percent. But at the end of the day, all the fiscal incentives that we are requesting, we expect that it will be transferred to the consumer because if we will be able to maintain the fare structure that we have, then it’s a win-win situation for the company that economizes and as well for the consumer.”
