Last night we told you about Arrow Line, the new deluxe bus service that Belize In transit Services introduced last week. Well a dollar won't get you on that bus, you'll need two dollars. While some raised their eyebrows at the cost wondering if it's legit, today we spoke with Dean Samuels, Councilor responsible for traffic and he told us that residents have the option to choose which buses they want to ride because the dollar buses will still be operating in the area.
Dean Samuels: Councilor
"I understand that Mr. Jones said on the news last night, it's something optional that they have other buses at the regular price, just that, that service to ride the AC buses or something the price varies really. And so it's not mandatory for you to ride that bus."
Andrea Polanco
"Last night when we spoke to Mr. Phillip Jones, he said that they had the official approval from the City Council to be running Arrow Line, but then we understand that they need another approval from the ministry of transport, from the transport board."
Dean Samuels
"So this is exactly what I am saying. We at the traffic department have given recommended routes to different road service providers, recommended routes this will be your routs here and there. But these routes up to now has not been
approved by national transport to say this is your road service permit, and the road service permits is what makes the route legal. We made recommendation to them, called them in said this is your route and that was what was issued. So basically, just my understanding on that."
Andrea Polanco
"So is it safe to say then that they are operating illegal at this time?"
Dean Samules: Councilor
"I would not say them, I would say everybody right now within the City, you can say to some extent is operating illegally because no one really has road service permit as yet. Which like what I said we are working on presently at this moment to resolve this matter by early February to provide these providers with road service permits."
Andrea Polanco
"So what's the holdup with the road service permit?"
Dean Samuels: Councilor
"Really and truly the truth is policies have to be set, regulations, so that really is what we are working on. To regulate the system we have to put policies in place which will govern the road service permit for these providers, so we call them in and we explain to them what would be their routes and what would be their policies, first to run these routes key write off like what I've said the buses has to be color coded and the three strike will be in effect once the policies are broken that your road service permit can be taken away. So presently we are putting those together and sending to national transport for their approval, again they will review these and then give these road service permit."
It must be noted that those operating busses right now won't necessarily get automatic approval from the Transport Board, which is reviewing the city's service permits and will make its decisions known sometime next month.
And that's 7news this evening
Thanks for watching, I'm Jim McFadzean
To see an internet transcript or for streaming video, you can log unto 7newsbelize.com
Join Indira Craig back here on Monday,
And until then, from all of us here at 7news, have a good night and a great weekend….
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