And while the Ministry of Transport is tightening enforcement laws, regularizing bus runs is not so easy. The jostling for road service permits remains a daily struggle.
Last month, Oscar Pollard paid for permits for his bus line to service three routes - two that he renewed in the Maskall area and one newly approved run from Rockville to Belize City.
Except, according to the Transport CEO, it wasn't actually approved and Pollard has been illegally servicing the route. Williams explained to us that the board denied it because there is another bus line that run ten minutes after his one on the same route. And he says if Pollard doesn't desist from carrying out the run, he can be charged.
Chester Williams, CEO, Ministry of Transport
"The thing is, like you said, he has not received the permit, why pay for something you have not received? First point. I can say to you that the application for the bus run he is speaking about went before the Transport Board, it was deliberated on and they were denied that application and one of the reasons it was denied is because ten minutes behind that run that he was applying for there's a bus run. We saw what happened with Serranos, we saw what happened with James bus line where the government had to pay compensation because of ill advised decisions made by the then Transport Board. It is not our intention under this administration to find ourselves in a position where we have to use taxpayers to compensate for the acts of the Transport Board in not being reasonable in deliberating the issuance of road service permits. So because there was a run ten minutes behind the time that he wanted, the board saw it in their wisdom which I agree with, not to have granted the permit. So why would he go and pay for it? He did not receive a permit and he's doing the run. I have said to the Chief Transport Officer over the weekend to kindly relay in writing to Mr Pollard what was the findings of the board with respect to his license and to instruct him to cease and desist from carrying out that run because he's infringing on the run of the other person who is ten minutes behind that time. So that letter I believe was served yesterday on Mr Pollard so I am hoping that he has ceased and desisted from carrying out that run because if he continues then we'll have to take legal action against him."
