Electric Buses Coming to Belize City Circuit in July
Bernard Wagner
Electric buses are coming to Belize City. Today, while in an interview with Mayor Bernard Wagner, he also disclosed that three electric buses will be integrated into the public transportation system in the city. This pilot project, which will be managed by the City Council, will commence sometime in July. He divulged that capacity building measures are already underway, including the installation of charging ports across the city.
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
“That is well underway, those funds have been approved it’s a grand fund by the E.U. being administrated by the UNDP where it will be seen Belize City getting three electric buses. Later this week we are doing the launching of the charging station at the Bitlmore along with the B.E.L. So that program is well underway. We believe that those buses will be on the ground in July. Currently we are working on building capacity for maintenance of those buses, having our people trained, and building the entire route because you have to develop a route for those buses. We want to see out of this pilot project how the bus run on the terrain of Belize City, and get the timing of those buses synced so that we are able to then get the necessary data to then expand the project into all areas of the city.”
Reporter
“How will it be managed and by whom?”
Bernard Wagner
“It will be managed by the city. The buses will be owned by the city, managed by the city, all revenues to the city.”
Reporter
“So you guys will be competing directly with private interests as well for customers.”
Bernard Wagner
“Of course, it’s private and it’s open. In any economy, you want competition and when you have competition, then the people benefit. We are not chasing anybody out of the industry. All the buses that currently have their route in the city will continue to have their route. But what we are building is a reliable and efficient and efficient bus transport system for the city; even the bank man or the people who work in the offices will have a reliable service. Listen, when I say I go that bus stop in fifteen minutes that bus will be there. So that is the entire gist behind this project, building a reliable and efficient transport system for the city.”
