Commuters and bus operators alike could soon see big changes on the road, as the government moves to bring more structure to Belize’s public transportation system. Cabinet has signed off on a proposed concession agreement between the National Bus Company and the Transport Board, an approach designed to modernize fleets and improve the overall travel experience. At the heart of the issue is uncertainty. Prime Minister John Briceño says the current system of annual licensing has made it tough for operators to secure financing and invest in better buses. The new plan aims to fix that by offering longer-term licenses, giving operators more stability while holding them to higher standards for safety and service.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“One of the problems we’ve been having with the bus runs is that you get a yearly … license. You can’t take that license and go to the bank and say, “I want to borrow to buy a new bus or a very good bus,” because you don’t know. The bank will say, “What if next year they don’t renew?” So the idea is that now you need to be able to give these long-term licenses. But under certain conditions. You’ll get a long-term licenses if, a license, if you would improve your bus, if you wa bring a new bus or whatever it is the standards that the that the transport department will set. And pretty much that’s what’s happening.”
Independent bus operators have long pushed for longer-term licenses. We reached out to Bus Association President Philip Jones, but he says he’s holding off on comment until he meets with the Ministry of Transport.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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