Westline Defends Exclusive Electric Bus Selection

The Belize Bus Association isn’t backing down. They say handing over all three electric buses to Westline Bus Company gives them an unfair edge over other operators. But Westline’s owner, Sergio Chuc, says the criticism is misplaced. According to Chuc, every operator had a chance to apply, but many didn’t meet the basic requirements, like having a backup bus for emergencies or proper facilities to house the vehicles. Today, Westline staff got hands-on training from BYD, the company behind the electric buses, on how to care for and operate the new fleet. We caught up with Chuc, who shared what it took to qualify and why he believes Westline was the right fit.

 

On the Phone: Sergio Chuc, Owner, Westline Bus Company

“One of the main requirements is that you had to be an established bus operator. You had to have a minimum of five years experience in the both industry here in Belize, you had to have a standby buss. So in case one of the EV busses were not working, you had to have a normal, regular diesel buss on standby that could take over the route. And they wanted the newer model, had to be at least 2013, I believe, ten years when the process just started. Full  air condition, licensed and insured, I believe that is what, and knocked off several of the applicants that their company did not have standby buses that the billing process required with air condition and being ten years or newer. Those are some of the points that clearly stand out in the application. And of course, you had to have a proper management team already in place. We had to identify drivers. We had to identify a backup drivers. We had to show if we had a garage to keep the units safely after they come out. They come off the road here in Benque, in the Belize city and in Corozal. It was an elaborate process. And actually my company does not have the expertise to write out this project. So we had to hire a consultant to write out the end. The business plan for us, the model that met all the requirements.”