City Shuttle Company Demands Revision of E-Bus Operations

With the new e-buses in country and the provision of comfort and a higher standard of public transportation, one would think that there is progress being made.  For the City Shuttle Company Limited, however, they are upset at the presence of the new city buses and are demanding that the Belize City Council rethink their terms of operations.  As a matter of fact, not only are they asking for a revision of the terms, but they are also questioning the real investors and beneficiaries of the operations.  The company held a press conference this morning at the Best Western, accompanied by their legal advisor, Arthur Saldivar.  Saldivar opened the presentation in which he says that through the public private partnership initiative launched by the Belize City Council, the private entities are being taken advantage of.  He noted that in order to be a part of the PPP program, they are expected to surrender 51 percent of their company’s ownership to qualify.  Saldivar has described the acts of the city council as an act of pilfering and strong-arming of small operators.  Additionally, Saldivar is calling for transparency, indicating that the initial permit applied for was under the name of Neil Hall and not the Belize City Council.

Not long after hearing today’s press conference, Mayor Bernard Wagner agreed to do an interview along with Neil Hall as the E-Mobility Coordinator.  In that interview, Mayor Wagner says he was floored when he heard the statements made as the project is still collecting data in order to fine tune the details of the PPP.  He added that they have not interfered with the routes for the other buses as it is not their intention to run them out of business.  Additionally, Wagner says that the price is higher with the e-buses as opposed to the city shuttle fares.

The first e-bus arrived in the country via the western border in late January.