Email

Print

Jules Vasquez
"We've always known that there are multiple bus stops and unofficial bus stops between Albert and Regent Streets - you all are saying, that will end?"

Alifah Elrington Hyde - City Councilor - Transport
"Yes, that will end - I have made it clear to my traffic manager to put in writing that we are cracking down on enforcements with respect to all means of transportation. As it is now what we're doing, we're ensuring that buses no longer run down Albert St. - that's how we're starting."

Jules Vasquez
"That's effective when?"

Alifah Elrington Hyde
"I'm not sure if it's in effect yet but it should be in effect within the next week if it hasn't as yet."

Jules Vasquez
"No buses?"

Alifah Elrington Hyde
"No buses down Albert Street - so the buses won't be able to come up Orange Street anymore and go down Albert Street. The buses will have to go the long route to hit Regent Street."

Jules Vasquez
"And then how do you answer all those people that say that they have their shopping bags and they need to get on the bus in front of William Quan?"

Alifah Elrington Hyde
"Well, unfortunately they'll have to walk a little more - that's all I can say. Yes, we want people to continue to support the businesses downtown but at the same time we need to change the vision of our city."

Next for the council are all those dollar vans. They are an essential part of the city's transport system- and move hundreds of people daily, but they are largely unregulated. And so the Council intends to put them under manners:'

Alifah Elrington Hyde - City Councilor - Transport
"The 'dala van' is a difficult situation for us because, to be very honest, this might sound harsh but what I would like to do is just scrap the dollar van situation entirely. At the same time, I appreciate that people need to make a living, I appreciate that it is something that it is essential in the major constituents like Lake Independence and those areas. So what we're trying to do, we're trying to look at alternatives. One, we have to regulate the dollar taxis; they're absolutely no regulations with which the dollar taxis abide by because they're split in the middle of bus and taxis. We have to do some regulations in respect to that and we're looking at that right now. Secondly, we're looking at an alternate run for them to run."

The dollar vans will still be able to access Albert Street – and will be given notice of the new regulations once they are finalized.

And moving to that other bus matter, the city has hammered out an agreement with Belize Transit Services. You may recall that their buses were pulled off the road last week. Well, Elrington Hyde says they have come to an agreement:…

Alifah Elrington Hyde
"We've come to an agreement where we've given them an extension - I think it was also another bus operator who had one big bus also. It was ultimately decided that two of his biggest buses which were about 36 and 37 feet long were to be taken off the road completely and that was supposed to have been done by Wednesday at 5o'clock. So there should be no more big buses, no more 36 or 37 feet. Mr. Jones, in particular, had four or five other buses between 29 ft and 34 ft - we have given him until the end of January because he was a six month extension - we were not willing to give in to a 6 month extension but we have agreed that by the end of January, majority of his buses should have been reduced to the 27ft bus or less and if he had done that then we would give him the additional two months to get all buses in compliance to what we want on the streets. We appreciate that he had loans and different things with the bank and would need to go into refinance and we didn't want to seem mean so we decided to compromise. If it is that he is not within compliance by the end of January - with the majority of his buses then we would have to take radical steps with respect to that."