Buses still not allowed to cross into Quintana Roo on weekends
Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno
Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno attended the joint chamber discussion. Lopez-Moreno addressed the ongoing dispute that has locked out Belizean buses from crossing the border on the weekend, the time when most Belizeans would go shopping. The blockade does not only affect the income of the bus owners but it also raises the cost of travelling for Belizeans who don’t travel in private vehicles and now have to pay taxis fares. The ambassador says that perhaps the regulation needs to be amended.
Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno, Mexican Ambassador
“The gamma rays work from nine a.m. to seven p.m. every day. So they can’t accept the buses on Saturday and the following day.”
Jose Sanchez
“Can’t you hire someone to operate the machines on weekends?”
Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno
“It is not a problem to hire somebody to have the solution because they have hours to work. They work from nine a.m. to seven p.m. every day. That’s the regulation that we have in place now so we need to change the regulations to look for more people that maybe work different hours.”
Jose Sanchez
“It also affects the commerce if Belizeans go on weekends to Chetumal.”
Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno
“We are very worried about that. This meeting is to find the solution. The Chamber of Commerce is working with authorities in Mexico and the embassy is working in other higher authorities in Mexico to find a solution to the problem.”
Jose Sanchez
“Another issue concerning the bus situation is the cost of the taxis. People catch taxis and they get charged fifty, sixty, even eighty pesos from Subtiniente Lopez to Chetumal. What is the rate?”
Luis Manuel Lopez-Moreno
“I know that they have rights and they need to ask for the regular rate that they will pay. So again they are part of the issues that we discussed here to find solutions. Sometimes the embassy receives the information, but the chamber of Chetumal has contact with the taxi union so we need to talk about and inform our office that has the regulation in place to enforce the regulations in Chetumal what they need to do or what they will do to find solution about these issues.”
So if you plan to get away on public transportation this weekend, be sure to factor in the new regulations at the Mexican border.
if this problem cannot be resolved, i say we implement a similar inconvenience for the mexicans who enter the free zone. Then maybe we can resolve this issue.
I wonder how much money belizeans are spending in chetumal anually, I wonder if the government could look into this and find ways to keep the money home.
When the Mexicans needed money, it didn’t matter what the weather or situation, they welcomed everyone, now they are putting boundaries and excuses. This is why the government of Belize NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF IT’S PEOPLE, by implementing lower taxes on goods so that we don’t have to cross any border to BUY CHEAPER GOODS. Another REASON WHY U.S. IS IN ALMOST A DEPRESSION, BUYING TOO MUCH CHEAP GOODS FROM CHINA. They buy 1 Trillion dollars worth of goods and China buys ABOUT A BILLION. YOU DO THE MATHS.