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Well, we caught up with the Minister of Transport in San Pedro yesterday and he told us that overloaded busses will soon be a thing of the pass:...

Hon. Edmund Castro
"We have some of the bus company now selling tickets; Shaw Bus Company, I think Westline is now selling tickets, so they are coming around and some of the ones that are not selling tickets as yet, they are working on their ticket books and how to fit it in. We still have and we would like to eliminate the rushing on busses both in Belmopan and the Belize City terminal, but as soon as all this be cleared and stop when each and every bus company start to sell tickets because then you will be able to go to the terminal purchase your ticket and come back and catch your bus 5 minutes before the bus take off."

Monica Bodden
"Minister explain to us ticket system."

Hon. Edmund Castro
"Basically in the past every bus company used to sell tickets but things have been running loose for some time now and they enjoy see people rushing and running on their busses and I don't think that's the way to go. It's the same thing that I was saying months ago - the overcrowding situation on bus will cause somebody to die. I appeal to the bus owners and operators to sell their tickets because somebody could get trample running on a bus at the terminal especially Belize City and Belmopan, so more and more bus companies now selling tickets - I think we will see that will be a thing of the past pretty soon."

And while we are still on the bus issues, the Belize Coalition for Justice sent out a press release stating that it has reviewed the case of Jennine Hamilton - the young business owner who alleged that she was removed from the bus runs she had been servicing in Ladyville without just cause and procedures.

The press release states and we quote, "In light of Hamilton's application to service areas in Ladyville that are not being serviced by other operators…we stand in full support of Hamilton's proposal and call upon the Minister and The Board of Transport to be fair and allow her to immediately commence servicing that area…" end quote.

We asked Minister Castro about Hamilton's situation.

Hon. Edmund Castro
"To tell her and I have said this on the air, "darling, I know you said that you've lost your land, your property, come to me so I can work out something for you - give you a lot or two, so you can try to get yourself back together." For her to be on the radio stating that I am hiding behind Jeffries and I am this and that, man I hide from no one. I have no need to hide from her. She doesn't vote in Belize Rural North, but I made it my effort to her, I said, "darling, come let me help you." I saw her once passing by the street that I always go and change when I ride my bike in Belize, the street by the flour mill that goes to Coney Drive - I was the one I said "darling, what happen, I waited for you all morning," she said 'Minister, I never knew you were still here, I was busy and I will get back in touch with you.' Man don't be causing aspersion for the same people who are trying to help you. If she does that, it's not everybody who is like me that who take what she said and saying what she wants about me and I am still trying to help her. If she comes tomorrow for help, I will help her. I would want to tell her just to ease off, she never had any bus run one month ago, now she got a bus run and now she is complaining about what? She never had before and now she has."

"Even if she was suspended back in 2010 - this is a different minister here, this is brethren that will listen to you, this is a brethren that will give you a break - come let us sit down and talk. I ask the board to try see how they can help this young lady. Maybe she made some mistakes in past, maybe it's not her mistake, maybe she had some bad drivers - two months ago she didn't have any runs, now she have runs, now she is still complaining."

Reporter
"The last time she visited Love News, she alleges that she actually got one run to Ladyville and she had already made some research of the areas that need the specific run she was trying to offer and she was just given one that she says was non-profitable because she would have had to park her bus and take the same route as all the other busses."

Hon. Edmund Castro
"I think she is in the wrong business. She wants bus run and she got bus run. Now she is complaining that that is not enough. Alright, give her 10 and see what will happen. If the board gives her 10, do you think that she could handle it? If she can't handle one, how can she handle 5 and 10, come on."

We did contact Jennine Hamilton for comment but she did not return our calls. The Belize Coalition for Justice says it will quote, "stand behind Ms. Hamilton and will take all necessary action to ensure she is justly accommodated…"