Editor Amandala
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Dear Editor,
This is an open letter to the Transport Department of Belize.
I was to depart from the Corozal Bus Terminal at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 27, on the Tillett Bus to Belize City.
We actually departed about 8:45 a.m. The bus continued to pick up passengers, even though the aisle was ram-jammed with people, including children — too unsafe, since at times it was speeding.
We arrived at the Orange Walk Bus Terminal at approximately 10:00 a.m. Imagine 1 ½ hours FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES.
All aisle passengers and some who were seated dismounted from the bus. The conductor then proceeded to let more passengers on. We departed from Orange Walk to Belize City at about 10:15. The same overcrowding of the bus began again.
We arrived in Belize City at 11:30 a.m. — 3 hours of nervousness due to overcrowding and speeding.
My humble suggestion is to categorize the bus lines as local, destination and express.
Local bus lines can stop and pick up passengers as many times as necessary and can even have aisle passengers, but cannot go over the speed of 25 miles per hour. You can set the routes.
Destination bus lines should stop only in towns and cities (and should not be allowed to pick up passengers along the way to their destination). These buses should not go over the speed of 55 miles per hour. You should regulate the price per person on this route.
Express buses should run from towns to the City. Buses should not go over the speed of 55 miles per hour, and should not be allowed to pick up passengers along the way to their destination. You should regulate the price per person on this route.
The Transport Department should conduct studies of the logistics of this idea for all districts. People who want to use destination or express buses should use private vehicles, taxies, kombis or local buses to get to bus terminals.
Sir, you will see an improvement in the quality of service of bus lines and savings to bus owners. This will mean better buses on the roads of Belize.
Best regards,
Ervin Wade