On Wednesday Cabinet ordered that bus terminals that belong to the Development finance Corporation as part of the Novelo's Bus Line that went belly-up in December to be reopened. The terminal in Belmopan was Opened this morning to the public and there is now access to the concourse area. People are now able to access the interior of that terminal as a form of shelter from the elements. Not much else will happen there as that is the only thing that will be allowed.
The offices and ticket booths remain closed while the buses from a number of providers are able to move into the terminal to pick up and unload passengers. The same is being planned for the West Canal terminal in Belize City, however
there is a delay. Presently the DFC has a number of buses parked inside the terminal facility. These are the property of the DFC and were once parked at the property at the corner of Faber's Road and the Western Highway. But this piece of property is owned now by the Atlantic Bank and the buses had to be moved from there and taken to the West Canal terminal. Now this is causing a holdup.
Today personnel from the Transport Department and the DFC were at the terminal trying to come up with a solution. Included in that were blowtorch equipment which we presume that would have been used to open the gates. We understand that the DFC is now looking at relocating the buses stored in the terminal to facilitate its opening.
There is no word yet on who will cover the operating expenses inside the terminals. We do know however that the Department of Transport will be managing the terminal and the movement of buses in them. As for those using it, that is the bus lines, at a meeting held on Wednesday the proposal was planted that a service fee will be charged for the operators to move through the terminal.
