Last night, you saw our interview with bus operator, Sergio Chuc, who owns Westline Bus Service. His western commuters will now have to get used to an increase in bus fares. It was authorized by the statutory instrument signed into law by the Minister of Transport, Edmond Castro.
All over the country, the fares have been adjusted, and in some areas, there have been increases, while in other areas, the fares have decreased. Today, when we caught Castro at another event, and asked about this adjustment which now allows bus operators to charge between 12 and 14 cents per mile, up from the 2010 fares, which were 7 or 8 cents per mile.
He says that the bus operators countrywide have asked for the increase with the commitment to improve public transportation, and it is something which the Ministry intends to hold them to:
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"I cannot give you each and every one, there are thousands of bus runs but when you look at the south within the first 100 miles between 12 and 14 cents a mile; preferably we try to keep it at the 12 cents a mile. In some areas where it was 16 and 17 cents a mile we readjust it down to 14 cents a mile. You have areas like for example and the bus owners came up with this, they were part of consulted and they were saying that if they could get readjustment of fares then they will be able to improve the quality of service, better buses and so on. So the next set of conversation will be around the age of the buses. We will not allow bus 1959 and 60 and 70 buses on our highway. We are trying to come up to a standard of maybe perhaps not older than 10 years running on our highway which I believe will improve the better quality buses on our highway, improve the quality of services for our commuters and I think that will be very good for the commuting public."
Daniel Ortiz
"Every time you hear we will crack down on standees, it never really happens."
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"But you see when I took over the department we mi short of a lot of things. The enforcement aspect in terms of trying to be out there; you cannot have enough police to police the city. You cannot have enough enforcement officers to police all the bus companies and all but we are trying our best, this government purchased I think an additional 4 vehicles. We are trying to place them in areas we had none, we are trying to make sure that our enforcement aspect, we as enforcement officers live up to our end of the bargain so that those bus companies who now have a realignment, readjustment of their fares cannot continue to run the same old shabby service and expect that people won't get upset."
But there are a number of runs which for which the fares have fallen significantly. Castro outlined a few of them today.
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"However even in the south there were areas where it was as high as 28 cents if I can recall, a mile some areas. Some areas were within the 12 or 13 cents so those areas with the 28 cents a mile came down. Case in point the distance between Mango Creek and Dangriga were either between 9 and 11 dollars for 40 odd miles. When those bus companies know that they cannot charge nobody for 50 miles from Belmopan to Belize City 9 or 11 dollars; that came down significantly. So within the first 15 miles according to the SI I think it's about 2 dollars outside of the 15 miles radius then the price goes up some more. So when you look at people commuting to Hattieville were paying like 3 dollars; they paying 2 dollars. So when you look at Ladyville they were charging 2.50 and sometimes they want charge you 3 dollars. Up to Ladyville is within that 15 miles radius so its 2 dollars. So it's not in every area whereby the price went up."
But, the north is hurting the most from the bus fare hikes. Commuters there now suddenly find themselves being asked to pay double what their bus fares were just last week. When we brought it up with Castro, he told us that those northern travellers need to question their bus service providers, because they should have increased the rates from back in 2010, but they never did. So, now, when the rates have been adjusted again in 2016, they’re effecting a double increase. Here’s that conversation with Castro on the Orange Walk and Corozal bus runs:
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"In 1992 was the last time an SI was signed, 1992. In 2010 as the minister responsible for transport we came up with a verbal arrangement or agreement with the bus companies to balance it out at 10 cents a mile. In some areas like for example in the north, the buses running in the north continue to run at subsidized rates or 7 and 8 cents a mile; 55 miles to Orange Walk, they were still were running for 3.50 and 4 dollars a mile. That will not happen in the case whereby the run from Belize City to Belmopan which is 50 miles, 5 miles shorter which was 5 dollars. The route on the Northern Highway for 55 was 3.50 and 4 dollars. That was their choice to stay at the old 1992 agreed SI rate. However we can't stop the bus owners from charging less. Now what we did we were able to establish across the nation a 12 to 14 cents a mile within the first 100 miles, so when you look at from Dangriga to Punta Gorda then it goes from 15 cents to 17 cents a mile because to go 200 miles for fuel is more costly then getting fuel in the urban centre of Belize City and Belmopan or Orange Walk, it costs more. So we add an additional incentive for those bus companies there."
"Somehow the bus owners in the north will have to explain to their commuters how come now they want to ignore the 2010 verbal agreement at the 10 cents a mile they were not charging the commuters 10 cents a mile or else they would have been charging 5.50 to Orange Walk but now they would want to charge this 12 cents; they wa got wa problem because they spoil their commuters for all this years when we said make we balance this at 10 cents a mile they disregard that and they stayed with the 1992 and 7 and 8 cents a mile. So they will have to explain that to their commuters because it difficult for a commuter now to say well how come you want charge me almost double the price. Man da no government the charge you double the price."
Castro stressed that the Statutory Instrument only restricts the prices of basic public transportation countrywide.
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