Minister of Transport Says Too Many Buses on the Roads

With respect to the ongoing bus war that has surfaced in southern Belize between James Bus Line and newcomer, Floralia, Minister Ferguson said he had previously indicated that the services the bus companies offer must be improved. He also shared his view that there are too many bus companies competing on the roads.

Rodwell Ferguson

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport

“When I took over the Ministry I never minced no words. I said that we are going to upgrade and improve the transportation system. I told every operator to get prepared for it. I guess maybe it caught them off-guard because initially I said June, 2022. I extend it now to December, 2022. But besides that, when I negotiate, I negotiate for everybody collectively. I’ll give you an illustration. You know there was a change of school bus operators since the government changed. And normally, lending institutions nuh want lend yoh money because they get a two-year contract from the Ministry of Education. I was able to negotiate for them with the National Bank for a four-year period of repayment so they all got loans from the National Bank to purchase their buses because I was skillfully there to negotiate for them. And I nuh want to make any noise right now, but I’m skillfully negotiating for all the bus operators across this country and that’s why they are very happy.”

Reporter

“However, what we’re being told is that some of these pre-existing operators, I’m talking prior to Floralia entering the picture, they’re saying that in some cases they’re getting road service permits that are only for three months, six months, so then when they go to the bank they cannot get a loan to enhance their service or their bus fleet precisely because they won’t get a loan based on these very short-term permits.”

Rodwell Ferguson

“Right now we are doing an assessment – a whole transportation plan going on in the Ministry of Transportation so we don’t want to give some permits for maybe two years permits and then at the end of the day we have to figure out what is the best way forward. When we discussed with the bus operators a couple days ago, I told them together we wa have to fix the industry. And I’ll be very frank – too many buses on the highway. Nobody’s making any money so we’ll have to figure out what is the best way to streamline this industry that we can see an improvement and likewise, the operators making money. So if somebody will have to go at the end of the day, somebody will have to go.”