Bus owner criticizes rival
While the nation’s bakers compete for the appetites of Belizean consumers, so too do the country’s bus lines. We’ve reported on bus wars in the past, but according to one Belize City operator, the present state of rivalry is getting dangerous.
Carlos Lopez, Lopez Unlimited Services
“I’ve been having a lot of problems with Novelos. The first problem I’ve had is when they would actually block my buses off from passing them. The second is that I had one driver who once went in front of my house and tried to block my bus from coming out. I’ve had many cases where they would literally park across the road so I don’t pass them and last week one of my busses was smashed by a driver Catzim. Last Friday another driver known to me as “Long Neck”, I don’t know what is his right name, actually took one of the windows from the bus.”
Raymond Arnold, Driver, Lopez Unlimited Service
“The driver stuck his head out the window watching me trying to pass, when he just pulled right out, hooked the mirror of the bus that I was driving and just tore the darn thing off.”
“The mirror was stuck out in such a way that the mirror actually went in his bus because he had the sort of angled off like this, it was open and the mirror went in his bus.”
“If anybody was seated by that by that particular window they might have gotten hurt. Not seriously, but hurt anyways.”
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Arnold reported this incident to the police after it happened on Friday, but more lives were at risk as another episode occurred early this morning.
Carlos Lopez
“This morning at exactly ten minutes to seven, while entering into West Landivar, he was in front of me and was behind him and I attempted to overtake him twice and he literally tried to run into my bus. I am just fed up of this and would like the authorities to do something about it. Last Friday I made a police report, the police went and talked to the man. This young man has been acting totally… I personally believe that he is retarded and I would like the authorities to do something about it because I am tired of him and he will cause some life because he’s just a wreckless driver.”
Vinneth White
“Personally, I know he never cared about anyone on that bus because he didn’t have any passengers on the bus, Mr. Lopez was the one that had the passengers.”
Jose Sanchez
“So you think this was intentional?”
Vinneth White
“He intentionally he meant to do it because he laughed when he passed, so he intentionally meant to do it.
Jose Sanchez
“What would you do like to say to the person that manages Novelo’s bus service?”
Vinneth White
“I would just like him to take that driver off the road because. He doesn’t have any respect. He doesn’t even care if a child was on the bus this morning.”
Whether some drivers are suffering from road rage or just fiercely territorial over the city’s streets, in the end the people who are going to suffer the most are the customers. Reporting For News Five, Jose Sanchez.
News Five spoke to Adolfo Quan, the manager of Novelos Mosul Street Terminal, and he said that this is the first they have heard of the two incidents and will have to investigate the matter before making any comments.
