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Yesterday 7News interviewed commuters to ask them what they wanted from the bus operators - after those operators got what they wanted from Government.   And they had a busload of complaints!  

Today Executive member of the Belize Bus Association, Darren Stuart, responded to those with his own perspective on why the system hasn't improved. 

Darren Stuart - Executive Member, BBA
"When the bus system is expected to grow we cannot grow because we are limited to our resources yes the minister can get on the TV and argue and say that they had afforded us a dollar raise in some instances the other day. But at that time the price of fuel was $7.25 a gallon now it's almost 11 dollars a gallon so where did our dollar go we didn't get a dollar.  We lost a couple dollars when it comes to the stampede I understand that everybody wants to get home. What I don't understand is why we can't do things in an orderly fashion. Unfortunately as creole as a Belizean we have a crab mentality to haul down each other. Why can't we do this thing in a civil manner? I have seen a case where one lady on the commentary that you had yesterday said something about pregnant women and senior citizens. Well quite honestly it is not a bus problem it is a society problem. I am in dialogue with a company that has identified a ticketing system for us and it is going to be very smart and straightforward. It is going to be one of the first in the region while we think Belize is a third world country and we're backward we're going to be ahead of the game with that. What is our setback at the moment however is finding the finances to get the initial start-up it is over 52,000 dollars to get the software and the machines and everything it is going to be a very simple system."

Cherisse Halsall
"There seems to be a bit of protectionism in that certain companies are allowed to run at a certain hour but you don't compete against each other so for example leaving Belize City at 7:00pm it's just Shaws. Why isn't westline allowed to do those runs, other companies allowed to do those runs so that people could have a choice on the road with who they travel?"

Darren Stuart
"I Like your question and I like your question because this was brought up in a meeting not too long ago a little discussion we had among ourselves and as an association I see that this is something that can be addressed. Why? Because Mr. Shaw did not beg for those runs in the revolt and revolution that happened a few years ago Mr. Shaw was left stuck with what is the most dead runs of the day. They shove that on Mr. Shaw and he was left stuck with it. He did not put in even one application for those runs. At that time of the evening the business tends to drop significantly you all might think it is a good business because when you look at the terminal you might see that the buses are jammed packed when they leave the terminal. Stay on the bus to see how many people are on that bus after it passesativille or mahogany heights. See how many of those people reach Belmopan and then you will know that from Mahogany heights to Belmopan or even to Benque that bus is required to go there might be one or two people that reach to Benque and that bus has to go all the way to Benque to take two persons. Where is that feasible?"

Stuart explains that the proposed ticketing system will use a swipeable commuter card that you will be able to top up at different locations the way you do with your phone. However, he did not address whether this system will assign seating.