Rural drivers trying to get a licence for either themselves as drivers or their car this week left the national transport office with nothing more than a receipt.
It's a problem that some drivers say has persisted for more than a month, and this afternoon we went to the office ourselves to find out if licence cards and licence stickers were indeed in short supply.
Here's what we found out.
First they didn't have any toilet paper and now they don't have license cards or stickers.
This afternoon we headed to the National Transport office where we heard that drivers who live in rural Belize District were having trouble getting their driver's licenses and license stickers:
We asked this customer what the office told him about when the cards would arrive:
Customer
"I'm not sure they haven't said yet."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Because our reports are that they don't have no cards they don't have any stickers, if that is true how would you feel about that?"
Customer
"Be patient and wait because you can't do anything about it."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Some people have said that they haven't had cards or stickers in a month."
Customer
"As long as I have something to. Show when the police stop me that this straight I will wait."
Cherisse Halsall:
"But this is a receipt you could lose a receipt, it's not like having the actual thing to put in your wallet, are you worried about that?"
Customer
"Yeah but what can I do?"
And while that customer didn't make too much of a fuss another seemed quite concerned about coming back here in the next two weeks just to be told he still couldn't get a card.
Cherisse Halsall:
"Sir, you are at national transport today to get a license tell me what happened."
Customer
"Well I just went paid for it and they told me two weeks and I could come back for the card so no card today."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Are you aware that some people have been waiting up to a month. For thier card?"
Customer
"A month?"
Cherisse Halsall:
"A month."
Customer
"No."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Alright so, I mean what would be your reaction if you come back in two weeks and there is no card."
Customer
"Well I mean I'd be kinda disappointed coming back for a card that they mention would be ready in two weeks and it's not so, yeah."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So until then I mean if police stop you or anything, is that receipt gonna be enough?"
Customer
"That's a good question, that's a good question maybe I should go and ask them."
And as we told you it's not just licensing of persons, a national passport is also out of license stickers:
Cherisse Halsall:
"Is it an inconvenience for you thought that they don't have stickers?"
Customer
"Not really but it show that somebody isn't doing their job, or something is wrong somewhere."
We reached out to Chief Transport Officer Diane Vasquez for comment via e-mail but up until news time have not gotten a response.
