Final decision on foreign buses on hold

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Transport reported that an agreement of sorts had been reached in respect of Mexican and Guatemalan buses transiting Belize. This came in the wake of a threat of strike from local bus owners complaining that the foreign buses were allowed to travel through Belize, but the local buses could not do so either in Mexico or Guatemala. But all this is coming to a head because a scheduled meeting was postponed even as the bus operators were in Belmopan. The aggrieved operators are now saying that the strike is back on the table. This afternoon, a release from the Ministry states that the final decision has been delayed pending a meeting with relevant stakeholders in the tourism industry. The meeting now moves to September third, 2019 and is to involve three government ministers: Edmond Castro, Manuel Heredia; Michael Peyrefitte as well as representatives of the Belize Tourism Board, hoteliers and the Belize Bus Owners Association. In early August it was announced that the foreign buses would each be allowed a daily run to drop off passengers who travelled with them from across the border. On their return trip to Guatemala or Mexico, the buses would be allowed to pick up passengers heading across the border into the two countries. Well, that is now on hold a strike is under contemplation.