Bus co-op may lose its buses in contract controversy

Charges of mismanagement levied by the rank and file of the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative against their own elected leader have been aired almost since the day of the organisation’s formation. But it appears that the war of words may soon end in the cooperative’s collapse. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Controversy has started up in the Belizean bus industry yet again after a letter of receivership was delivered to the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative by the Novelo Group’s National Transport.

Anna Young, Treasurer, BBOC
“They are claiming that we owe them some three hundred thousand dollars for some rental for buses that they had put in the cooperative since last year October up until now.”

According to Treasurer Anna Young, members didn’t know they owed money to the Novelo group because they were not aware of a contract between National Transport and the B.B.O.C.

Anna Young
“We didn’t even know that there was agreement signed until yesterday when they sent us this letter and quoted in this letter sent to us that in actual fact they will take over our company. And we don’t know—we haven’t received any documents to show how much money we owe them and how much money was paid to them from Mr. Wayne Myers’ chairmanship.”

“He was collecting all the funds from all the drivers every single day and he cannot give an account as to where that money is, up until now we don’t know where this money is.”

Janelle Chanona
“So your chairman was swindling you; that is your accusation?”

Anna Young
“Yes, yes.”

Janelle Chanona
“So what happens to him now?”

Anna Young
“We are going to take him to court because he has to give an account as to where those funds are.”

But the B.B.O.C.’s plans to take the former chairman to court doesn’t settle their bill with National Transport. With that reality in mind, this morning the members gathered at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in the hopes that public pressure will give them some breathing room.

Anna Young
“Our members are very annoyed and very upset because they don’t know anything about this contract. Even though Mr. Myers was told not to sign a contract with Novelo’s, he still went ahead and signed and all the money he collecting was to be used to pay off the lease that’s owing to Novelo’s so we don’t know where that money is.”

Janelle Chanona
“Where is Mr. Myers in all of this?”

Anna Young
“Mr. Myers is employed by National Transport, but where exactly we are not sure.”

Isabel Chan, Chairman, Belize Bus Owners
“We will continue operating as—only if Transport tell us okay you can’t operate because they are the ones that have the say on transportation. I have all the permits.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.

Following this morning’s press conference, News Five contacted National Transport’s David Novelo for comment. Via telephone Novelo informed us that he was about to enter a series of afternoon meetings with the Ministry of Transport in an attempt to resolve this “sensitive situation.” Our attempts to reach B.B.O.C. chairman Wayne Myers were unsuccessful.