October 17, 2009
Dear Editor,
The racing of buses has become a daily occurrence on our highways. As a commuter, the races that I am involved in (but did not volunteer to be a part of) happened between Belize City, Belama and Ladyville.
The peak time for these races is when the buses are filled to capacity – in the mornings and evenings when most commuters need to reach work, school and back home. This frustrates many, including me.
Another frustrating scenario is that you await the bus’ arrival on the highway, but the bus sometimes is full by the time it reaches its first stop, thus causing commuters to wait for another bus, which sometimes still cannot take the crowd.
It is recommended that once a bus driver is caught speeding or overloaded, our local government should insist that the transport or traffic controllers levy a fine against each driver and impound their vehicle/buses. The penalty should be so steep that they would think twice about doing it again. Remember – one life is irreplaceable, much less an entire busload.
The second recommendation is to have only seating capacity; all others should await the next bus. Of course, the buses should be given more runs during peak hours, which are from Mondays to Fridays every morning and evening.
Signed
Natalie Jones