Private Bus Operators Get New Deal with GOB

The government has proposed a new tiered mileage-based fare system for bus operators after today’s Cabinet deliberations on a request by the Belize Bus Association (BBA) to “level the playing field” on fare adjustments. 

Transport Minister Dr Louis Zabaneh said Cabinet agreed to restructure fares into three categories. Under the proposal, regular bus service will be set at $0.18 per mile, express service at $0.20 per mile, and a new premium service at $0.22 per mile.

According to Dr Zabaneh, the premium tier will require buses no older than seven years, equipped with bucket seating and Wi-Fi, operating between municipalities and designated high-density routes.

“We have now shared verbally by phone with the president of the BBA,” Dr Zabaneh told News 5. He said the proposal will be finalised within days, with fares to be rounded to the nearest $0.25 and all route stops mapped out in consultation with operators and the National Bus Company. 

The announcement comes after the BBA threatened to halt services due to rising fuel costs and what they describe as unfair pay structures, with many claiming they are operating at a loss. 

The new structure applies to intercity highway routes, including major commuter corridors. “We have agreed with the president of the BBA that we will make sure we work closely with them and with the NBC to ensure that all those stops are incorporated properly,” Dr Zabaneh added.

BBA’s president Phillip Jones told News 5 that the association has been calling on the government for close to two decades to establish fair and equal conditions for all bus operators.