As we reported on Friday, work is underway to re-open a number of Novelo's Bus terminals across the country to accommodate commuters. Since December of last year, they've been suffering in rain and sun hot, at improvised roadside bus stops where there are no toilets, no shelter, and no ease from the elements. But if the Department of Transport's plan goes through, that painful period will soon pass. On Friday the terminal in Belmopan was opened and today Commissioner of Transport Phillip Bracket disclosed what other terminals will begin to see traffic soon.
Phillip Brackett, Commissioner of Transport
"The holdup has to do with the utilities. We are trying to get electricity in right now. I believe by the end of the day we will get electricity. We'll have water, electricity, and basically that is it."
Alfonso Noble,
I know we have a lot of buses in the area, inside this terminal in particularly, what will be happening with these buses and will this at all interfere with the operations of other buses coming into this area?
Phillip Brackett,
"Well initially it will not because if you notice there is quite a bit of space. These buses, as you may know, will be auctioned off pretty soon, within the next few weeks. We may have to move some of them to a secure location to make space for the additional buses that will come in but we'll get started as is right now and then we'll try to move some of these within the next couple days or hours perhaps."
Alfonso Noble,
What other terminals are you all looking at opening?
Phillip Brackett,
"We're looking at the Corozal one and we're also looking at the Dangriga one. In Orange Walk, I can't say there wasn't a terminal but a very small building was used, and in P.G. there was this big humongous super terminal that was never used, or seldom used. So we're not even at this point in time looking so much at P.G. because nobody uses the P.G. terminal but certainly we are looking at Corozal and Dangriga after Belize City. All the providers from the north will be invited to use this facility. In fact all the providers on a whole, however initially we will only be looking at those people who fill the gap for the receiver, when the receiver stopped operating. They operate from Mosul Street so we'll bring those operators over here and begin to have the people from the north use this facility and then the people from the west will have use of the facility however they will continue to access their buses from here."
Alfonso Noble,
Will you at all be forcing people to use this terminal or any terminal for that matter?
Phillip Brackett,
"Well I think it's a little too early to say but certainly there are plans to rationalize the entire industry and maybe having one central terminal or two central terminal may very well be a part of that rationalization."
Alfonso Noble,
I know that there are plans to auction in at least mid-February of this year how will that affect the operations that you all are going to be starting here shortly?
Phillip Brackett,
"Well in my discussion with the DFC receiver, they will be looking at trying to auction off all the terminals in block, meaning that whoever buys them will most likely end up buying all the terminals."
Alfonso Noble,
Whoever buys may inherit the traffic through here, whoever buy will inherit the traffic of various providers coming through here?
Phillip Brackett,
"It seems that that is likely at this point but I couldn't be certain."
Bracket says that the Department of Transport is yet to determine a final figure as to how much will be charged to the bus service providers for the use of the terminals because they have not yet established how much it will cost to operate the terminals.
