And the following weekend, those same Ladyville residents took to the streets to protest the Transport Board's decision to take away Serrano's permit. According to the organizer of the protest, Serrano's is the only bus company that takes routes on the Ladyville roads less travelled - like the Japan and Milpa area.
And those commuters also say that Central Transit isn't up to par since it's constantly breaking down. Now, they're afraid if Serrano's isn't allowed to run, they will be left without reliable transportation.
Courtney Menzies spoke with two commuters and has this story.
Serrano's Bus Line has been operating in Ladyville for about seven years, but this might be their last few weeks on the road. That's because the transport board has voted not to renew their permit.
But that decision is sitting right with the commuters that use Serrano's buses every single day. Two weeks ago, they staged a protest to fight for Serrano's to retain their permit because they say no one else has looked out for them.
Yvette Dobson, Commuter
"I am one of the persons who live far in the back who really need the bus, we're from Milpa, that really need the bus like Milpa people, Vista people, because I've been living back there for ten years and from we have been living back there, we've been having issues having to walk from back there to the front to buy groceries and what's not and we were taking lick, and now it's rainy season, we really need our bus, and now, what we're talking about is that this man had a vision for us, to send this bus behind there for us, nobody else had the vision and this man was efficient, we were alright, now all of a sudden they come with their foolishness, want to take off this run."
Juvanna Pinto, Organizer
"The reason why I'm pushing for this and I'm standing up for my people in the Ladyville community is because we are fed up of what we are getting, why remove something, this bus is giving a good quality to the people in Ladyville, why will you give us something that we're not satisfied with? Everybody use this bus everyday, everyday we use this bus, sometimes you don't even have money to catch the bus and they still take you."
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Serrano must the pay you wah money."
Juvanna Pinto, Organizer
"Nobody is paying me any money, I'm doing this off my own free will. I was supposed to be at work and I asked for a time off so I could come out here so that people could hear why I'm standing up for them."
"July 14th is the last run for the Serrano Bus so this is the reason we're coming out here so they could at least give leniency and give him back his permit. That's all we're asking for."
And in its place will be Central Transit Bus Line - owned and operated by the Belize Rural Central area rep's driver - which has led the Ladyville community to believe this move to run Serrano's off the road is politically motivated.
Yvette Dobson, Commuter
"This is politics, this isn't just like that, this is politics because how all the while, they were running back there, they didn't have any vision for us, and at the end of the day, they aren't worrying about we the people, they are worrying about how they're in politics and they want to run this bus, but they aren't worrying about us, because they're bus isn't equipped."
Juvanna Pinto, Organizer
"They just start since PUP come in, they just start, how will you just want to take away something and you just came in, then you can't even handle the run. You break down, you're not making any money."
"Then the other bus is already saying we're not going all the way behind Vista, behind Milpa, so then we will have to take the lick to walk out to the roadside, by the time we reach the roadside, we won't have any seats. then if you go standee, when you reach the checkpoint what do you think will happen? Most of us will have to come off the bus and wait again for another bus, that doesn't make any sense."
And so ahead of July 14th, these women are trying to get as many signatures as they can on their petition to bring back Serrano's.
Juvanna Pinto, Organizer
"We also have all the petitions, everything here that everybody is signing, this is more than 1,500 petitions here."
Yvette Dobson, Commuter
"We need this bus, they're chancing us, they're not worrying about we the people, they're worrying about their politics thing and we're not into their politics thing. We into the bus that will benefit us."
As you heard, July 14th is supposed to be Serrano's last day on the road.
