Tonight, Belize's independent bus operators say they are hanging by a thread, and if things don't improve quickly, they could be forced to cease operations next Monday, April 20th.
This afternoon, the Belize Bus Association put out a dire warning in a press release saying they are facing an "urgent and critical situation."
The release says, quote, "The situation has reached a breaking point....the recent sharp increase in fuel prices....has pushed operating costs to a level that is no longer manageable...This is not economically sustainable. It is no longer financially possible for operators to continue under current conditions.
Therefore, the BBA regrets to inform the public that: Unless this matter is urgently addressed, BBA members will have no choice but to discontinue bus services starting Monday, April 20th, 2026."
So, this is the difficult position that the 16 bus lines which are not part of the National Bus Company find themselves in.
A short while ago we spoke to the president Phillip Jones by Zoom:
Phillip Jones, President, BBA
"We wrote the minister previously, we had a meeting, we had couple meetings asking for assistance and we wrote three assistant, one being that um the assist in removing the tax from the fuel um tyre and parts um being the first. The second being assistant with the subsidy that um in the time of covid what they did they assist us with our subsidy and then the third one was to increase the fare."
"However the private bus operators felt that the minister of transport response was um was um very callous and um coldhearted in his response that he didn't even ask to have a sit down with him to tell them in person that you know well xyz we can't and just in a letter stating that well you need to hold on until when things get back to normal, right."
"The bus operator in a position know that they're losing money every day and they're going bankrupt and this is an industry whereby that it's not it's it's not um a high profit business but it gives you just a sustain to pay your bills and to to pay your workers and and run on fumes um the operators, this is the last thing they want to do. No one want to go on strike or don't provide the service, but they're in a position that they won't be able to continue provide the service for the simple fact that the fuel is too high and they are not making money to sustain the operation. So they are hoping that um good conscience can prevail and and and the minister of transport which he rightly said is his department can assist in somewhere or one out of the three assistant requesting."
And the BBA is saying that the ministry has until the end of the week to come to the table of discussion or on Monday the runs operated by their 16 bus lines will be discontinued until further notice. That will cause approximately 10,000 passengers to be without means to get to work and school. Again, a dire prognostication - and we asked Jones about it:
Phillip Jones, President, BBA
"The minister said on countless interview: Well, they should have joined the NBC. But I can tell you, from what I'm seeing, the NBC is going on a downward trajectory. So they're in no better shape than us, even with the economy of scale, because they are cutting runs, they are renting bus from other operators to fulfill their schedule, they are sourcing mechanics and service personnel."
"When the operators that are not part of the NBC, they do their own maintenance, their own servicing. They minimize the pilverage because they are their conductor, they are the driver, they are the mechanic."
"They do everything, wash everything. They don't have members or advisor or CEO earning large salary, and that's a recipe for disaster."
Reporter
"And how much time are you giving the government to give you guys a response or to invite you to the table of discussion if that table still exists?"
Phillip Jones, President, BBA
"Well, the members made it very clear. I'm only the messenger, right? I'm only the messenger. If there is no serious conversation or discussion, they say they won't be able to run Monday coming. They won't be able to continue and provide service."
Reporter
"And would you all have an estimated number of how many individuals would be impacted on that, especially from in the morning time run specifically?"
Phillip Jones, President, BBA
"In the north alone, we move over 10,000 commuters again in just the highway runs. We are not talking about the village. We are just talking about the highway. Over 10,000 commuters."
