And while we haven't had the chance to ask the Minister of Transport about Andy Shaw's showdown for the West, he did speak on Floralia's new permit to transport passengers on and off the Placencia peninsula and what he calls the transport board's unfortunate decision to basically put Dalton Ritchie and his family's bus line out of business.
Rodwell Ferguson, Minister Of Transport
"I am not what people think of me I am given a responsibility as the Minister of youth sports, and transportation, and I commit to whatever responsibility is given to me I will upgrade it and uplift it for the benefit of the Belizean people, transportation has been a very difficult ministry maybe over donkeys years and many ministers come in and try to fix it and apparently nothing really happens. When I came in in 2020 I committed to my staff. I committed to the nation that I was going to attempt to fix the transportation industry. I am hopeful that by the end of 2025 it is fixed and all Belizeans are happy. What happened to Mr. Ritchie I wouldn't want to see happen to anybody. I have known Mr. RITCHIE FROM CHILHOOD WE GREW UP IN THE Stann Creek VALLEY TOGHTER BUT I AM KEEPING the operators that really follow an IDB study that we must do certain things by a certain time and also I am following Plan Belize, that we are going to upgrade the buses that runs on the highway across the country. Initially I gave the operators I think June of 2021 that I wanted to see the transformation. June 2021 came and nothing happened then I extended it to June 2022, then I extended it to December 2022 nothing much happens, and unfortunately Mr. Ritchie's buses are constantly breaking down on the road and the transport board made the decision outside of me and I said Mr. Ritchie we warned you so many times, we were expecting that at least you would have said get some additional buses to beat the demands, unfortunately that didn't happen and so they made a decision and they decided what they wanted to do. I have to comply with them because I am not the transport board, so right now as we speak then Ias we want to upgrade our fleet the only company in the country that houses buses that will suit the commuter's riding quality was Floralia, and you can search anywhere you want in the world and see if Rodwell Ferguson has any shares or any cent in Floralia or is getting any money from them. I no behave so I am here to do a job."
