And while the NBC - as it is called is coming together quickly - one of the major bus line families in the North have an issue with it.
Today we spoke with German Tillett of "A. Tillett Bus Line" - who explained that out of the 10 operators in the North, only 3 are on board and they have been able to mostly remain united in their stance against monopolizing bus operations.
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"The North is not signing with this National Bus Company, Not all, I'm not saying all but the majority of the bus owners there in the North are not signing with this National Bus Company."
Jules Vasquez
"How would you answer to the criticism that no you have not signed on it because you're a UDP, and you just no want see any PUP initiative prosper?"
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"Ah Jules like how I mentioned, I am not against modernization and I had just had a meeting and I do believe that this is not about politics.This is about our daily commuters and like how I mentioned, our livelihood as bus owners."
"Up to now, I do not feel threatened right because they are letting us have our permits and everything for us to continue running as a business but one of the things that they will do and I can assure you that they will do is that they will try to intimidate us in every possible manner that they can. You know, who is running the game? The government and the National Bus Company and who do you think they will try to for us to fail. They will make us fail so that they will be able to get that monopoly."
"What will they do with all those buses that they are buying? They may be able to use one or two of those buses that they are buying as backup if they do continue with this National Bus Company. But I do believe that I prefer those old buses than the new buses that are coming because I know how those buses work. I know that I can fix those buses. I know how I can managed operate those buses."
Another issue they have is the electric buses that will be joining the fleet. Tillett argues that Belize does not have the proper road infrastructure to sustain such technology. He explained that the concerns being brought up now have been around from day one.
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"One of the things that we are basing ourselves in not signing Jules you know, they are bringing electric buses here to Belize, and the infrastructure that we have here in Belize, those electric buses will not work. I am positively sure that will not work here in Belize."
"The road infrastructure, the terminals and everything that we're speaking, those things need to be fixed in order for us to be able to bring those electric buses here to Belize."
Jules Vasquez:
"So it's what you would call, inappropriate technology?"
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"Exactly and not that inappropriate technology, it's an inappropriate way to begin with because you know, with the proper studies that can be done it can work but we need to work in phases. Let's begin with the terminals, see the terminal in Orange Walk as soon as you come in the terminal in Orange Walk just go and park in front and see when a bus comes in. The bus just go, it is not the way how that terminal should be able to look like."
Jules:
"But how will you answer the criticism that you don't want electric bus but you want 60 year old ladybird bus."
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"Well uhm again we need to modernize as bus owners you know and I do believe whenever, well I do believe we need to upgrade that is a fact but the upgrade comes through phases, we cannot jump from one day having this bus to another day having a 2026 bus, that is not how it works."
Reporter
"Did you raise these concerns in the initial consultation process?"
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"Yes we did."
Reporter
"And what was the response?"
German Tillett, Co-Owner of Tillett's Bus Line
"The response is that they have had a proper study about this and it will work and it will work. And you know, one of the things that they did whenever the initial consultation came, at first, is that every bus owner was interviewed by itself in a room right, just like, I took that as an intimidation to the small bus owners."
The National Bus Company will begin operations on March 1.
