Moments before heading into talks with the Department of Transport, the Belize Bus Association (BBA) doubled down on their warning to halt bus operations on Monday.
BBA President Phillip Jones warned that operators are “running on fumes” and can no longer sustain rising fuel costs. “These operators have continued to sustain loss after loss,” he said.
He said the shutdown was already planned for last Monday, but he urged members to make one final appeal to the transport minister, Dr Louis Zabaneh, before taking action.
According to Jones, bus operators do not want to strike but would be forced to under mounting pressure. “My members are far more serious than me… this is the last thing they want to do to the commuters,” he added.
At the centre of the dispute is a five-cent gap in mileage rates, according to Jones. Private operators receive $0.14 per mile, compared to $0.19 paid to the National Bus Company.
The BBA is pushing for authorities to “level the playing field” for operators and standardise the rates.
“Let the operators get the same fare that the NBC is receiving; it’s 19 cents for them. So why can’t it be 19 cents for us too? I feel that’s quite reasonable,” Jones added. “If we don’t come to a positive resolution or request that we had asked, then transportation won’t be able to be provided by the operators on Monday coming.”
Minister Dr Zabaneh has told News 5 in an interview earlier this week that the BBA will not be getting the price adjustment they are requesting, stating, “That is off the table.”
The BBA entered the closed-room discussion with Minister Dr Zabaneth and Transport CEO Chester Williams with intentions to also address concerns over alleged victimisation.
They are claiming that their operators are being locked out of terminals and forced to load passengers on sidewalks.
News 5 was told that only eight of the more than dozen bus operators were allowed to enter the room.
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