Bus Operators Shut Down Highway in Fuel Cost Showdown

For thousands of Belizeans, the daily commute ground to a halt today, not because of an accident, but because patience ran out. Frustrated bus operators, locked in tense talks with the Government of Belize over soaring fuel costs, rolled their protest straight onto the Phillip Goldson Highway, turning negotiations into a full-blown traffic nightmare. The blockade stranded commuters for hours, drew swift police response, and ended only after a last-minute agreement. News Five’s Paul Lopez takes us to the highway where tempers flared and pressure forced a breakthrough.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Two weeks of tense talks over fuel costs boiled over this morning. Frustrated members of the Belize Bus Association blocked the Phillip Goldson Highway, bringing traffic to a standstill. At the height of the protest, police detained a bus operator at the Boom–Hattieville junction, citing obstruction of traffic and ordering officers to clear the roadway.

 

Charles Swift, Bus Operator

“I the get detained for obstructing the free flow of traffic…..weh deh offa the road.”

 

Before sunrise, the protest hit full throttle. Just after 4:30 a.m., bus operators parked their buses across the Tower Hill Bridge, shutting down the highway and stopping traffic cold. Police officers moved in quickly as the blockade unfolded.

 

“We the fight for unu rights to breda, we the fight for unu right…..none ah unu could fight with we breda.”

 

It marked the beginning of a four-hour blockade, with buses jackknifed across the highway at multiple points, including Guinea Grass Village and Ladyville. It affected all commuters traversing the highway, from students to employees, many of whom were caught by surprise. One affected commuter, a lab technologist, was concerned about his patients.

 

Johan Alonso, Commuter

“This is very much affecting us, mostly because we care for our patients and we are trying to reach our work. It is not because we don’t want to support he blockade. It is good that they are doing the blockade so the government can see how serious the people are serious and how fed up we are fed up. They need to take into the consideration everyone and talk to everyone before making decisions on their own.”

 

We also spoke with a teacher travelling from northern Belize who was caught in the roadblock.

 

Dianne Martinez, Commuter

“I need to reach to San Pedro because I am a teacher there and it is very inconvenience. I woke up very early to catch the bus and then at the terminal they told me that the bus are not running because they are going on strike. What is disappointing to me is that nobody told me this was going to happen and a lot of people stay stranded on the road.”

 

These commuters were stuck on the road since five a.m.

 

Northern Commuter #1

“Hmp, I feel stressed, bad, because I want to make this day, I want to win this day, but we cant, because of this. We still will collect for our day work.”

 

Benita Keme-Palacio

“What did you tell your boss?”

 

Northern Commuter #2

“We gwen guh work, but things nuh the happen. We money to lee bit to catch bus.”

 

And despite the mounting frustration from stranded commuters, bus operators stood their ground, insisting the disruption was the only way to send a strong message to the Briceño administration.

 

Michael Frazer, Vice President, Belize Bus Association

“Yesterday we had a meeting and our president had informed the Deputy Prime Minister of what action we would take if we don’t get what we wanted.”

 

Edward Bull, Bus Operator

“Fuel prices that wah crisis right now and how will we sustain our family if we have more than one child at home? And we the try make a living, go to work, come back. At the end of the day if you watch your pocket, how much you the spend on bus, go and come and you have bills to pay, owe bank, and you owe this institution and that institution, how will you make two ends meet.”

 

And the message landed, loud and clear. Within hours, it reached the highest levels of government. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Transport, Chester Williams, showed up on scene with word that an agreement had been reached between the association and Prime Minister John Briceño. With that deal in hand, the buses moved and the blockade came to an end.

 

Chester Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Transport

“I am happy to see the blockade had been cleared. From what I was told there was a call between the Prime Minister and the vice president of the BBA Mr. Frazer and certain concessions were made. It is just a matter of working out the details of whatever has been agreed upon by the prime minister and vice chair of the BBA.”

 

Michael Frazer

“We have agreed to give us the three dollars discount from the fuel price. We will meet with transport department in Belmopan to do a slight adjustment. We have asked for a person from his office to be present because we believe Mr. Zabaneh nuh the deal fair with us.”

 

After four hours of gridlock and mounting frustration from commuters, word of a deal brokered directly with Prime Minister John Briceno brought relief on the highway.  There were also reports of a blockade in San Jose Succotz Village where videos surfaced of one individual being detained. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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