Local News

Callers to Love News Center reported that there has been a price increase on bus transportation.  Love News spoke about this and other transportation issues with Minister of Transport Edmund Castro.

HON. EDMUND CASTRO

Minister of Transport

Belize

“Basically we had some 37 conditions, most of them actually are the law that we had some timelines on.  We can recall some of them were September first we gave them some slack until the fifteenth. – now the fifteenth has come and pass; majority of our bus companies are complying up to as we speak, today in terms of numbering their buses and trying to get their act together.  However, we have one or two companies not complying yet and the Board will be meeting some time tomorrow to deal with getting their legal advisors with the way forward for those who are not complying with the regulations set forth by the Transport Board.  All in all I think we are moving quite along the line – we have a few delays with some of the conditions; by the fifteenth we should have the ticketing system that people are waiting for or at least the boarding pass system.  The boarding pass system is a lot less complicated one to deal with since the ticketing system deals with money and how to secure money but at least the rushing on a bus and a boarding pass and orderly boarding a bus should be no problem by the fifteenth.  So we are dealing with the fifteenth, the deadline passed a couple days ago so we are now dealing with the situation with legal advice and see how we can either help them or for those who don’t want to comply to see what is the next option to bring them into compliance.”

AVA DIAZ

News Editor

Love FM

“In terms of prices, I understand that at least one provider in the west has increased its prices by a dollar.  What is your take on that?”

HON. EDMUND CASTRO

Minister of Transport

Belize

“From what I was reliably informed there had been an agreeement of ten cents per mile so from Belize to Belmopan it should have been five dollars a long time ago but because of competition and fighting amongst each other they were giving 20% discount and charging four dollars.  That however, for them to go back now to charge the ten cents per mile for a route that they have been doing and charging four dollars seems like an increase to the commuters and the commuters right now don’t want to hear about a fare increase for the same shabby service.  So if you comply and bring your bus up to specs and the standards, nobody would mind paying ten cents or five cents or a dollar more; if they can go there, purchase their tickets when they want to leave and leave comfortably, I don’t see anyone who would resist something like that.  But not putting any of the conditions in place and now wanting to go back to the original price agreement that you had, for the commuters that is a price increase and they don’t really want to tolerate that so I don’t have a shilling in that dollar.”

AVA DIAZ

News Editor

Love FM

“The last time we spoke you mentioned that there were only two providers with permits; at the time you said James and Westline, has that changed?”

HON. EDMUND CASTRO

Minister of Transport

Belize

“I think the rest of providers that are in compliance can now go and pay for their road service permits and I think some of them are going through the banking system right now getting their road service permits for up to four years – so I think we are moving quite along that line for those providers in the southern part of the country and the western part of the country.  We are also now dealing with the Belize District area and then we’re heading north so we can work out the schedule of buses and have them pay for their road service permits and then everybody can be legal.”

AVA DIAZ

News Editor

Love FM

“For the commuters how soon would I be able to see an improvement in the service that is being provided?”

HON. EDMUND CASTRO

Minister of Transport

Belize

“Well I would hope right now that the commuters should start to see some kind of improvement.  However, it is a difficult thing working with those bus owners, bus drivers and bus conductors.  One of the reasons that they are going back to their orginal ten cents per mile is because we are cracking down on standees but when they had that free rein when they could put a hundred persons on a bus they didn’t mind giving the discount but now we are cracking down on that.  This week into next week the entire traffic enforcement team will be out on all the highways to make sure our buses are in compliance.”

According to Minister Castro the measures will be put in place will allow the industry to run more smoothly.

=====================