Another of the mayor's flagship projects is the e-bus service. And it shone in the city yesterday morning when the regular diesel powered city buses went on strike.
Well, the council's city e-buses came to the rescue and were running full all day. Today we spoke to the mayor about how they were able to accommodate all the passengers:
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
"It shows that no care how you put it that we should begin as a society to begin to look at alternative e-mobility rather than fossil fuel, rather than than ice vehicles, the diesel vehicle, you become less dependent on the volatility of fuel prices. That case was a clear case yesterday that if you have electric mobility your prices won't fluctuate based on external forces and external problems that happen out there. If you are running e-mobility the studies have shown that you operate at a 40% less operational cost, that is what the study has shown and so many of our providers refuse to change right, we continue to be in a time warp. We have to change, right, we have to recognize that the volatility of fuel prices will continue to impact you and no care what kind of bandaid fix you put, it will come back another 3 months, 6 months down the road again."
Reporter
"How much over capacity were the buses running yesterday?"
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
"Oh it was, from the reports that I've received those buses were fully, it was full the entire day and it really brings home the fact that we as a city responsible for transportation in our city will have to really fast track and expand those services."
