As we told you earlier this week, Cabinet has given the green light to Mexico's ADO and Guatemala's Fuente Del Norte bus lines to return to the Belizean market.
They were first approved by the UDP in its last term - and then suspended during COVID. And, now, in what may be a first, the PUP Government is saying the UDP got that one right - and they're returning to that status quo. Here's how the PM put it yesterday:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"The tourists, the people that are coming into Belize they pay a lot of money to come to Belize and it is unfair to have them to be riding in these busses that we have in our country. I know some of our bus owners are complaining saying well we allowing them to come in, but we can't go into Mexico or we can't go into Guatemala. Yes, they can, but the busses have to have a certain standard and they don't meet that standard. There has been a lot of lobbying from the tourism industry and the ministry of tourism to saying well tourism is almost back - I think this year is going to surpass 2019 record,
which was the highest number of visitors that we've ever had and they were making the case. But we cant have our tourists riding in these busses. So the idea to continue ADO coming to Belize City, not picking up Belizean passengers, but picking up international passengers or if Belizeans are going to Merida that they could jump in a ADO and likewise what is happening with the route to Guatemala. It is something that was done before and it is something that its inevitable."
ADO will be providing services from Belize City to Merida and Cancun starting on the proposed date of May 1st, 2023. Fuente Del Norte will be providing services from Belize City to Flores and Guatemala City starting on the proposed date of April 21st, 2023.
