Yesterday we told you about the turf war in the Belize harbour. It’s between the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association and its new competitor right next door, the San Pedro Belize express. Yesterday ruction was caused when fishermen were being jostled about in the harbour by the Port Authority. Today, the Caye Caulker group stepped up the public pressure when it staged a protest. Jacqueline Godwin was there.
Luis Marin, Member - Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal
“We are going on strike, we will do everything we could, going on talk shows, we will do anything possible. We have to have a meeting with the Prime Minister.”
But for today the members and supporters of the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association held a peaceful demonstration in front of its terminal on North Front Street. The protestors are objecting to a permit granted to San Pedro – Belize Express to provide a similar water taxi terminal service. It is believed that the adjacency of the two buildings will further compound the problem of congestion that already exists.
Disgruntled Porter #1, Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal
“I need fi eat and my pickney need fi eat. All of we who work here need to eat. They don’t come and sabotage our living here.”
Disgruntled Porter #2,
“I can’t believe this is happening here. Look how close that building to this building, not even two feet. You have Brown Sugar down there who the tourist village are giving them a hard time to make a port entry. What are those guys thinking about? They should have linked up with Brown Sugar and go there and run their operation from there. What is the problem?”
Disgruntled Porter #3,
“We have people who don’t care about fi we people. It is going
to cause problems, it might even cause fighting. We want to live in a peaceful country so we just want to tell the politician to think about what they are doing and find somewhere else for these people because we don’t want no problem.”
Luis Marin, Member - Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association
“Yes we want the permit to be revoked. Let them go somewhere else. Right now they are working at Brown Sugar, Mr. Myron Marin has an office there at the Brown Sugar Place, they are working out there, fine – let them work from out there.”
But as the demonstrators vented, it was business as usual next door at the Belize Water Taxi Terminal. These new operators have been getting ready for business to start from their new location this Saturday. The owners Myron and Giovanni Marin maintain that they believe the protest is not really about location or congestion but the serious competition that they promise will come as a result of their quality of service.
And while competition is good for the end – user, this kind of contention isn’t good for the tourist industry and it’s left to be seen whether this escalating hostility will be defused by the marketplace or the authorities. Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.
Pressure is expected to continue to mount when the San Pedro Belize express starts operating on Saturday.
