Belize Launches New Electric Buses in Push for Modern Transit

It was a historic day for Belize’s transportation sector. After years of planning, the government officially introduced three more intercity electric buses. The initiative is part of a partnership between the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme. The buses will be rolled out in Belize City, with hopes of expanding to the highways soon. Officials say the move is a step toward modernizing public transportation while addressing commuters’ long-standing concerns. As part of the project, the Department of Transport also received three new pickup trucks to strengthen highway enforcement. On Monday, government leaders, local officials, and international partners gathered to mark the occasion. Here’s News Five’s Zenida Lanza, with that story.

 

Zenida Lanza, Reporting

Public transportation has long been a challenge in Belize, with buses breaking down and commuters frustrated. Monday’s ceremony marked the culmination of years of work between the Government of Belize, the European Union, and the United Nations Development Programme. The aim is to modernize transportation by putting electric buses on Belize’s streets. Officials say this handing over not only represents progress but also brings relief to commuters who have long called for improvements.

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Our young people deserve to grow up in a country where clean, modern transport is the norm, not the exception. That is the vision that kept us moving along even when some doubted. Leadership is about holding on to those bold ideas, even when they seem out of reach, until together we make them a reality.”

 

Reliable transportation isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for the students getting to school, the workers heading to earn a living, or the grandmother going to her clinic appointment. When they launched the first two buses back in July of last year, not everyone was comfortable with the idea. Today the public’s perception has shifted to show that modern, clean transport works.

 

Michael Lund, Resident Representative, UNDP

“Even just nineteen weeks after the start of the operation, sixty-six thousand riders were reported on the Belize City buses. And that’s a clear proof. that Belizeans are eager to embrace clean, modern, and efficient public transport, and I dare say they deserve it too. The positive feedback that we received from commuters, combined with the lessons learned from the pilot, have provided inevitable experience for scaling up e-mobility in Belize. And we will continue to monitor the performance of the three intra-district buses to learn from them so we can move forward and help Belize grow even bigger, better, and cleaner than the five buses that you have so far.”

 

Switching to electric buses is still a big step for Belize’s transportation industry. Minister of Transport, Dr. Louis Zabaneh, says it takes vision, boldness, and leadership to make it happen. The plan rolls out e-buses and cashless payments, with stronger financial security for operators. So far, twenty-two out of thirty-one bus operators are considering joining the project, signaling growing momentum for a cleaner, more modern public transport system.

 

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport

“There are a number of other bus operators who are here today. And we’ve had a long conversation, sometimes in groups, sometimes one-on-one. And for many, it’s the vision that’s hard to catch on, right? It’s difficult to see something that looks so novel, to be practical and to be applicable to our situation in Belize. And unless we have the leadership and the vision and the passion and the boldness to do it, it never will happen. It never will happen. And so I want to congratulate all who have been working on this before”

 

Westline Limited now operates Belize’s three new electric buses, a move the European Union says advances climate action, tourism, community building, and sustainable development through public-private partnerships.

 

Dr. Erja Askola, Ambassador, European Union

“Today’s launch event also demonstrates that this is possible when ambition, innovation, and partnership come together. And we are proud to stand with Belize in this transformation, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in this area, and as the country advances its low emission development pathway, which is a sustainable pathway.”

Dr. Leroy Almendarez says Prime Minister Briceño’s leadership is driving Belize toward climate resilience, with over two hundred rides on electric buses and taxis showing that commuters are ready for cleaner, modern transport. Reporting for News Five, I’m Zenida Lanza.