Upgraded Buses Expected by March as Transport Ministry Sets Compliance Deadline

Commuters can look forward to better buses on the road in the coming months. The Ministry of Transport held a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday with over thirty bus operators to discuss pertinent issues within the sector. The Belmopan meeting allowed the bus operators to voice their concerns and explain any difficulties they are having with meeting the demands for upgrades. Minister of Transport Rodwell Ferguson says that since he became minister, he had set the standards high and gave timelines for bus operators to ensure that their buses are safe and comfortable for the commuters.  He did, however, had to revisit those standards several times to give small operators a chance to upgrade. The minister noted going forward he is expecting all buses to meet those standards by March. 

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport: “When I look at the situation there are small operators for the most part. So I even had to reduce the standards that we want. So we brought in Floralia we were saying we want a standard similar to Floralia to take over the country but over the two years of contemplation I told them okay we’re going to reduce the standard but just make sure your buses are in proper condition, in proper shape, have bucket seats on the highway and air conditioning. So I maintain that position so effective December 2024 all permits are expired and so we are telling them that for you to renew you we have to do an inspection of your bus. That period is now between January and March of 2025. So by 2025 all the buses should be inspected and they will determine if they should receive a permit to run on the highway. But at least 60% of the buses in the country have improved and upgraded. So there are definitely in compliance and I am hopeful that as we prolong they will meet 100% compliance. For example Mr.Frazer from Orange Walk sent me two buses that he improved recently, they have bucket seats, they have air conditioning so that by itself is a testament that they are complying with our request.”

Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle says that the ministry has made specific commitments to bus operators to support them in their efforts in meeting those standards.

Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer: “From that meeting bus operators expressed the need for some incentives to be given to them in terms of making sure that they’re able to provide and upgrade their buses. From another element of it is that they’re saying that even the passengers riding the buses need to be informed that once they’ve made this upgrade they don’t want for them to destroy that hard earned effort that they have put into it. What the department concluded with was to ensure that work along with the bus operators to publicize not only the upgrades but as well to educate the passengers or the public that the investment is significant and it’s an investment that is borne primarily by the bus operators and so we are going to work along with them to see how we can figure out some level of incentive whether it may be working with the government to see how we can look at GST cuts, whether it may be finding a way how they can purchase parts for their vehicles and even to get to the level of grant funding so that they can purchase brand new buses. Another thing that came out of that meeting was for us to see how we can work along with them to form cooperatives in the different areas, a northern cooperative, a southern cooperative, Western and maybe even a central so that they can work together to acquire funding from the lending institutions. Back in December we had met with them to discuss with the lending institutions through a project we’re trying to identify funding for them through economic development. So there are ways how we have been working along with them to see how we can ensure that the upgrades can be at a certain level.”

In January 2023, the government gave operators one year to upgrade their buses to more modern models to improve the experience of commuters and safety standards. Bus owners had until December 2024 to have at least half of their fleets up to standard.  Best information is that several bus owners are well on the way to fulfilling the upgraded requirements.