by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Mon. July 24, 2023

There is increasing tension within the small community of Ladyville and its surrounding villages due to the controversial decision to not renew the road service permit of the longstanding bus service, Serrano’s, which has the support of a considerable number of loyal customers.

With that loyal clientele relying on Serrano’s for their daily commute between Ladyville and Belize City, the news of its license not being renewed has sparked outcry within the village and suspicion of bias.

According to the Minister of Transport, Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, the decision to strip Serrano’s of its permit was based on alleged violations by the company, including accusations of aggressive behavior in relation to other bus lines.

What has added fuel to the fire of public discontent, however, are the claims that political affiliations influenced the choice of the replacement bus service, Central Transit.

Serrano’s, in response to the permit expiration, effective on July 14, has taken legal action, securing the legal services of attorney William Lindo, Jr. to fight what they perceive as an unjust and politically motivated decision.

Lindo raised concerns about the lack of communication with Serrano’s before the permit was revoked, emphasizing the need for due process and the opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Allegations have been made as well that the proprietors of Central Transit have strong political affiliations with the People’s United Party (PUP).

Notably, both individuals (proprietors of Central Transit) are chairmen of their respective village councils, Ladyville and Lord’s Bank, and ran on PUP tickets during past elections.

These allegations have raised suspicions among the public, and even led Serrano’s to claim that their license was revoked as part of a political maneuver orchestrated by Hon. Ferguson.

They argue that the connections between the owners of Central Transit and the ruling party have led to an unfair advantage for the new bus service.

As a result, a judicial review has been filed against the Minister of Transport, the Transport Board, the Chief Transport Officer, the Chair of the Transport Board, the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Transport, and the Attorney General.

And as the news of the permit revocation spread, the residents of Ladyville and neighboring villages expressed their frustration, pointing to the fact that Serrano’s had been an integral part of their daily lives for years.

Many commuters relied on Serrano’s bus line to get to work, school, and other important engagements.

Amandala reached out to the chairman of Lord’s Bank, Daniel Salinas. Although unwilling to comment on the political allegations, that he says “lies before the court”, he did express his grievances against Serrano’s bus line.

He cited issues of lack of punctuality and reckless driving, which he claimed to have documented over the years. Salinas stated that he had personally witnessed instances where Serrano’s drivers broke traffic rules, jeopardizing the safety of passengers and other road users.

“It’s an issue that has been occurring for quite some time now, but it wasn’t until recently that it began gaining attention,” he explained.

Similarly, Barnard Bennett, the chairman of Ladyville, despite also not wanting to comment on the political aspect of it, did describe similar misconduct and expressed discontent as a chairman and villager who witnessed the various infractions committed by Mr. Serrano’s bus line throughout his 1 year and 3 months in the transport industry.

Bennett attests to 4 different occasions where Serrano collided into his buses, but only two were actually reported to police, where Serrano was even detained and spent the night in jail.

Other infractions included Serrano stealing bus routes and stealing passengers from Central Transit by remaining parked by bus stops longer than required. It was only until Central Transit arrived that he would move off with all their passengers.

Bennett alleges that these complaints run back to 2021 when the Transport Board was planning to revoke their license due to complaints. Serrano would then seek help and another chance from the Ladyville chairman and the area representative, who then placed him on a 6-month probation.

Unfortunately, nothing would change and the complaints would continue. It was then that the Transport Board held 3 separate meetings with Central Transit and Serrano, discussing the multiple complaints, and even sent out a warning on March 23, 2023, to Serrano’s, stating that if their behavior continued, then when the time came for their license to be renewed, the board would not proceed with that renewal.

“The Department of Transport was informed that Serrano’s Bus Service has been operating in ways that contravene the conditions of its road service permit. The Planning Unit began monitoring the routes of your road service permit and made reports of your bus not arriving at its point of origin on time, nor does it leave at the time specified on your permits,” it read. “It has also been reported that on several occasions, your buses were observed carrying standees which can result in ticket violations by enforcement.”

“The planning unit will continue to observe your operations as the department will now document these warnings to allow you the courtesy of addressing the issues and hopefully, improving them. This warning is submitted for your perusal and further necessary action,” it stated at its conclusion.

Apparently, that time finally came. Bennett says he is baffled at the way Serrano has portrayed themselves as the victim; but again, only the judge can decide the outcome of the matter.

In the midst of the mounting controversy, Minister Ferguson firmly denied any involvement of politics in the decision to not renew Serrano’s permit and select Central Transit as the replacement.

He stated that the choice was made solely by the Board of Transport, and denied any influence from the ruling party or himself. Ferguson explained that the decision was based on evidence of misconduct and safety concerns raised against Serrano’s.

“There are many infractions, so the board decided that they don’t want to renew his contract or his road service permit,” he had told reporters.

As the legal battle ensues, Serrano’s is planning to file a judicial review, with hopes to have a hearing by October of this year.