Zabaneh Says NBC Considering Coastal Plain Highway Run

Relief may be on the horizon for southern commuters looking for a faster, less crowded way to get to Belize City. The National Bus Company is considering a new route along the Coastal Plain Highway, a road Transport Minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh says is largely underused. If approved, the added run could offer an alternative for travelers heading north or south. So how soon could commuters see buses rolling on this route? We put that question to the minister.

 

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport

“I suspect by the middle of May. We want to give the commuters enough time to see what changes would look like, moving people through the Coastal Plains, a certain percentage of the total people go to Belize City but have to go through Belmopan. So it is those people we want to provide an hour less in journey going through the Coastal Road. And, it had been there. It is a grant and government investment in that road. It is grossly underutilized and this is one way we can put it to use for the benefit of our commuters. We want to give commuters enough time to put their input into this. When it is implemented, it will still have flexibility so that if things are not working it can be tweaked up, but we fell very strongly that will add tremendous value to commuters of the south.”

 

The Coastal Plain Highway upgrade cost a hundred and fifty-eight million dollars, and Minister Zabaneh says it’s time Belizeans start getting more out of that investment.

 

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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