PRIME MINISTER INTERVENES IN BUS CRISIS

The late morning meeting between the president of the Belizean Bus Association Andy Shaw and Prime Minister Dean Barrow marked the formal ending of the protest action that began at dawn. By the time Shaw emerged from the meeting with the Prime Minister a light had apparently appeared at the end of the tunnel, as the BBA president explained to reporters.

Andy Shaw - President, BBOA
“The Prime Minister, I must applaud him, he is a man of his word. He stated clearly that he didn't know exactly what was taking place with the minister. And he had the impression that the BBOC didn't want the run because he said the minister told him that BBOC didn't want the run; that is why he gave it to Sergio Chuc. But he promised that he will resolve this situation and try to reinstate with a compromise BBOC back in the west.”

Patrick Jones – Reporter You went in with a 7-point of negotiation. Did you get what you were asking for?

Andy Shaw - President, BBOA
“Well, primarily we didn’t get to that. I told him about it but we are having a press conference again at 2:30 and as soon as we get out of that press conference I think the media will be invited and we go from there.”

Patrick Jones - Reporter So you're happy with what transpired just now with the meeting with the prime minister?

Andy Shaw - President, BBOA
“Well a while ago at least we got somewhere and basically that's our discontent. And as I said after 2:30 we know where we go from there."

After speaking with the media, Shaw proceeded to meet with his general membership to relay what was discussed in the meeting and the proposed compromises. A definitive was forward was expected to be announced at a mid-afternoon prime ministerial press conference; but it soon became clear that the lines of compromise had again become blurred. At the start of the Press Conference, Prime Minister Barrow conceded that the protest was the result of a wrong done to the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative when their runs to the west was taken away and a new provider given those same runs.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“There have, I think, been misunderstanding and miscues on both sides. That were it, if only certain things had happened earlier, if only certainly Mr. Fraser and Mr. Shaw and I had been in dialogue before this morning, I am positive that the entire thing might have been averted. But the fact is that I am very happy there was no kind of violence at all associated with the protest. I perfectly understand that the people who engaged in the protest were acting in defence of what they considered to be a just cause and so while the public was inconvenienced and while I believe we had some difficulties with CXC's and for a while there in terms of some especially important economic concerns it was a little dicey, all is well that ends well. And I have to recognize again, that the people did what they did in all earnestness as a way of focusing attention on what they felt was a legitimate issue."

The Prime Minister says that the BBOC has been wronged by the Ministry of Transport and the Transport Department and that now is the time to correct that wrong; but it must be done within the confines of the law.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"What was agreed is that the BBOC would not in fact be required to operate only on the northern route, on the Belize City runs going north. But that in fact some of the earlier runs, some of the preexisting runs before the attempt reorganization took place, that BBOC had going west would be retained. It would mean then that not all of the proposed new runs for the BBOC going north would any longer be in place. In effect we would try to divide up the thing and ensure that as far as possible the BBOC would not lose any of their runs except to the extent that everybody perhaps will lose runs as there is an effort to compress the thing and make it all together viable and feasible. So by and large there would be this apportioning of the BBOC bloc of runs between in fact the north and the west."

As we said earlier, that was the proposed settlement of the problem; but the BBA president came to the press conference, having gotten the mandate of his membership.

Andy Shaw - President, BBOA
"As the president, the same way Westline was actually inserted in the west I would like to see the BBOC reinstated immediately. Because these guys have been operating for over six years. And when you look at it they have been taken out overnight and given privilege to a guy that has or brought in twenty thirty busses. As the President, I think it is unfair. And I am not going to mince words, what I am saying is coming from the heart, and as an operator myself I know exactly with the economic crisis, with the fuel and all the rest of it I see what these guys are going through. It’s been two weeks, going on two weeks that these guys have been out there and not making a dime. They have their families, they have bills to pay and I am not here to negotiate because I have already sent out my message and if we have to go back to the table and negotiate for another week or so then where does that put sixty or a hundred families?"

And while the BBA president called for the removal of Transport Minister Melvin Hulse, Prime Minister Barrow at the press conference says that the minister’s job is secure … at least for now. The proposal was for a meeting to take place on Monday to continue the negotiations; but Shaw and his group have agreed to fast tract that gathering, and the meeting will now take place on Saturday morning to try and hammer out a definitive solution. A time and venue for Saturday’s meeting has not yet been determined. Love News will continue to monitor the situation and bring you developments as they occur.

LOVEFM

Protest on highway: buses block roads, while tires burn on horizon

The Belize Bus Owners Cooperative essentially shut down the highways at the crack of dawn. Students, workers and commuters could not get to their destination because buses blocked the main thoroughfares while others simply did not leave from terminals. The Belize Bus Owners Cooperative has been insisting that road service permits granted to UDP supporter, Sergio Chuc’s, West Line be suspended and that runs to the BBOC be re-instated. After two weeks of discontent and protests, an ultimatum to that effect was advanced to the Minister of Transport but when it was not met at noon on Thursday, the BBOC swung effectively into action. The nationwide disruptions got the attention of the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow and this morning he met with the BBOC. Normalcy was restored hours later but tonight the situation is fluid with government and bus operators agreeing to continue dialogue. We have coverage of this story from various fronts and News Five’s Isani Cayetano has a first report on this morning’s events.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Thick, choking smoke billowing from tires strewn across the Western Highway near the entrance to Hattieville set the scene for phase one of strike action taken by disgruntled bus operators this morning as the smell of burning rubber permeated the air. Standing by vainly were officials from the fire department. The water they’d attempt to douse the flames with is insufficient. This, after failed negotiations with the Department of Transport on several occasions during the past two weeks including an ultimatum given to minister Melvin Hulse, is their expression of discontent.

Maria Rodriguez

Maria Rodriguez, Supervisor, Belize Bus Owners Cooperative

“We sent him a letter stating that twelve o’clock [on Thursday afternoon] was our deadline but we weren‘t satisfied with that so that is when we put our plan into action. If this doesn’t work we have Plan B, Plan C, Plan D. Something has to work, you know, and I don’t believe, I am not proud of what is happening but I believe we have to take a stand.”

…and take a stand they certainly did. This morning at the crack of dawn a simultaneous wave of protests spread across the major thoroughfares leading to Belize City. Transportation came to a screeching halt when a number of BBOC buses were parked diagonally across the highways.

Here at Hattieville residents and commuters alike gathered on either side of the towering inferno while bus drivers trucked in spare tires to fuel the blaze. Orlando Burgess, an employee who works at the Belize City terminal shared his support for the action taken.

Orlando Burgess, Commuter

Orlando Burgess

“I agree with the bus man dehn because dehn man mortgage, dehn wife and pickney dehn just di get pitch weh. Ah mean Novelo’s slip down with this thirty-five million and all ah that stuff [and] dehn man ya step up to the plate. Ah mean the minister mih need dehn now because this other guy step up now dehn wah pitch weh dehn man ya. No man that outta order, di minister wrong mein.”

It is a sentiment shared by a majority of the onlookers who congregated along this quarter-mile stretch. On the scene shortly thereafter were Commissioner of Police, Crispin Jefferies as well as Chief Transport Officer, Gareth Murillo. The inconvenience that came along with the demonstration as traffic backed up from the Hattieville Bridge to the roundabout and beyond during rush hour is all a part of the desired effect. For Lovel Mejia, a high school student who commutes to Belize City daily, blocking the road was unnecessary.

Lovel Mejia

Lovel Mejia, Student, E.P. Yorke High School

“I feel that, to me it’s a selfish behavior by the whole protest issue because then they’re putting commuters’ daily jobs and what they have to do in jeopardy and I feel that if they have a problem with the Minister of Transport [then they should] take [up] their issue [on a] personal [level].”

While law enforcement personnel were called in to disperse the crowd a handful of drivers remained put, opting instead to sit outside of their buses. Like Maria Rodriguez they are entirely invested in the transportation industry.

Maria Rodriguez

“This is my bread and butter. This is what I pay my bills with, my mortgage. I have a bus, you know, and I need to pay that and Mr. Hulse won’t pay me three hundred dollars a week to pay my bills, you know and I’m getting that from BBOC.”

At a quarter to nine this morning after constant communication with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Police the order was eventually given to remove the buses and burning tires off the highway. Claude Frazer, who has been vocal about the situation since it began on Sunday, is the chairman of the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative.

Claude Frazer

Claude Frazer, Chairman, BBOC

“We listened to the P.M. and I trust in him. We take his word. I have received a call from Minister Singh and they’re concerned and we understand that the students need to go and take C.X.C. and different things and we’re not scared to move the buses. We trust that he will come up with a good decision and do the right thing and if not we just go back to Plan B.”

With that a tractor was brought in to clear the debris that accumulated in the middle of the road making way for the normal flow of traffic to resume. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Bus operators agree to compromise and negotiate

Dean barrow

The Chairman of BBOC, Claude Frazer did not attend this afternoon’s press conference. There was tension in the room when it appeared that the BBA had changed its position about the negotiations earlier in the day. But at the end of the conference, the BBA, BBOC and the Northern bus operators agreed to flesh out the details of the compromise on Monday.

Dean Barrow

“I believe that almost as soon as the meeting was agreed upon, Mr. Shaw took steps to try and stand down the protest that had developed since the early morning. We’re happy that in terms of the protest, there was no incident, no kind of violence at all and in fact I think the roadways, the highways were cleared fairly quickly—even more quickly after Mr. Shaw signaled his willingness to cooperate—our agreeing in principle to a compromise. Now the outlines of that compromise, the essence of that compromise, was put this afternoon in a 1:30 meeting from which I just came, by me to the representatives of the northern bus owners. And I’m happy to report that they too are in agreement with what is being proposed. The BBOC will not be required to operate only on the Northern Route, on the Belize City runs going north. But that in fact some of the earlier runs, some of the preexisting runs before the attempt of the reorganizations took place going west would be retained. It would mean then that not all of the proposed new runs for the BBOC going north will any longer be in play. In effect, we will try to divide up the thing as far as possible that the BBOC would not lose any of their runs except to the extent that everybody will perhaps lose runs as there is an effort to compress the thing and make it all together viable and feasible. So by and large, there would be this portioning of the BBOC’s block of runs between in fact the north and the west.”

Thomas Shaw

Thomas Shaw, President, Belizean Bus Association

“We had a meeting briefly with the Prime Minister at ten this morning; Mister Frazer and myself. Thereafter, I went back to my operators and basically, the outcome of the meeting that I held wit h the Prime Minister when I went back them, some of my operators are still not totally in agreement with the arrangement that Mister Frazer as the BBOC stating that he would try to compromise. The position with the operators from the west; that they wanted this operator, Chuc’s West Line to be removed immediately as I pointed out in the letter previously presented to the minister.”

Dean Barrow

“While I understand that Mr. Shaw, I hope that you will also understand that we left that meeting with an agreement as to the way forward and that is certainly how government means to proceed. We are greatly desirous of reaching a compromise but a compromise by definition cannot be sometihng that is dictated by either side. So I will invite you again to proceed as had been agreed with the negotiations that we scheduled for Monday.”

Roger Tun

Roger Tun, Chairman Northern Bus Operators

“We mentioned to them that we welcome them at the north. At this stage we cannot tell the BBOC that we don’t want to see them in the north—they have been operating there. Unlike if you turn around, you don’t see no northenos operating in the west. So we are very flexible. As much as I said we are on fire, or we are a district of fire, we believe in flexibility as well. And I stand to be corrected as well by the BBOC members—whether any northenos run in the west. We believe that at this stage, we are open to dialogue with them. I mention to Mister Frazer and Mister Shaw—Mister Menzies, I just got to know you today—Mister Frazer has been the one that has been heading any dialogue on behalf of BBOC. We mentioned as northenos that we are united. We believe in reform and most importantly, we believe that you cannot stop newcomers stopped to enter into any business. I was once a newcomer in the bus business. The BBOC was once a newcomer in the bus business. We all are newcomers to the business at some point in time, be it forty years fifty years you name it. However, we must accept the fact that we cannot stop no one to invest. So with that spirit of good, to have a hormonial relationship, I come and I say from the northenos stand point; we are prepared—Mister Shaw knows about it—we are prepared to lend a helping hand to them.”

Channel 5

BUS COMPANY REGAINS A NUMBER OF RUNS

Bus operators met today with Ministry of Transport officials. Following the meeting the Ministry issued a release in which it states that the Belize Bus Owners Association was offered nine scheduled runs, four from Benque Viejo del Carmen to Belize City and return and five from Belize City to Benque Viejo del Carmen and return daily. This proposal was reportedly accepted and is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 1.

LOVEFM

A Truce In The Bus War

On Friday morning history was made as two of the country's major highways were shut down with multiple, simultaneous road blocks staged by bus operators unhappy with decisions made by the Ministry of Transport.

And then in the afternoon, a different kind of history was made when the Prime Minister was shown up at his own press conference after representatives of the bus operators rejected a compromise they had made with him earlier in the day. It was a situation that developed in real time - and when we left on Friday, the situation was still fluid and it appeared that things could go either way.

By Saturday morning though, it was clear that cooler heads had prevailed and things had gone in the direction of a negotiated settlement rather than sustained civil disobedience.

And that's partly because Claude Frazier the President of the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative returned to lead negotiations on behalf of his organization on Saturday.

With an assist from our friends at Plus TV - we put together a report on that meeting…

Jules Vasquez Reporting
The First thing that happened at Saturday's meeting was that Patrick Menzies was unceremoniously dumped as lead negotiator.

Thomas Shaw and the resurgent Claude Frazier took the lead and huddled with their members to outline the proposal,

Devilling the details where necessary:

Claude Frazer, Chairman - Belize Bus Owners Coop
"When we took a break was to bring back outside to our members because the first part yesterday was sign by the Prime Minister and now with this new one coming out of the West I had to bring it to the members and let them know what was taking place and they decided to quickly write their name down to it and sign as members that they had agree on it and that's where we move forward from there."

The official negotiating team, was led by the Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega with Ministers Erwin Contreras and Melvin Hulse while Works Minister Anthony Boots Martinez - the PM's rep at the meeting - was also doing some gentle persuasion.

And UDP operator and party official Sergio Chuc had no apologies:

Sergio Chuc, Westline Bus
"When the cooperative applied for the northern routes then there was a void to fill in the west and they recommended me and so did the other companies and that is how I got in. I did not get in because of politics."

While agitators were urging a hardline - in the end on this day, the spirit of compromise won out with the BBOC getting back most of its 18 runs:

Claude Frazer, Chairman - Belize Bus Owners Coop
"It was a total of 18 yes and we are leaving here today with 17 which will put us 5 out of Benque to Belize and return and 5 from Belize to Benque and return and 7 from Belize to Santa Elena border and back - a total of 17 and we can satisfy with that."

And with that, all sides left hopeful:

Hon. Melvin Hulse, Minister of Transport
"For the framework of agreement has been put together and found accepted and we will try to finalize it on Monday."

Of course, that was just the initial agreement and fine tuning negotiations continued today in Belmopan. At 3:30 the ministry of transport sent out a release saying that BBOC busses would be making nine scheduled runs in the west starting on Wednesday. Those are four runs from Benque Viejo to Belize City, and five from Belize City to Benque, with returns. The negotiations for the runs in the north started this afternoon and that meeting finished close to 5:30 pm - and according to the Minister of Transport, all sides have agreed in to seven runs. We were unable to reach the executives of the Bus Operators Association of the Belize Bus Owners' Cooperative to confirm. The minister says that the meeting went smoothly and the operators are now working on times to make sure that there is enough space between runs to discourage racing on the road. He says he expects these runs to go into effect within the next ten days.

Drivers Get Their Busses Back Slightly The Worse For Wear

Of course, to make those runs, operators will need to get their busses back. Six busses that were involved in Friday's road blockage were seized by police and impounded. On Saturday after the meeting - with the feelgood spirit still in the air - the operators went for their busses at the Queen Street Police Station in Belize. Here's how that went.

Jules Vasquez Reporting
Works minister Anthony Boots Martinez went to the police station to get the busses out of impound .

There were 4 of the 6 impounded busses remaining

Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez
"I just brought the bus drivers for their busses. The Minister of Police has said to me from yesterday that the bus drivers could have pick up their busses from yesterday. They claim that they needed authority and so I am just accompanying to get the busses."

Mateo Choco, BBOC
"I am satisfied today, we did the peaceful and logical thing and the government says that they don't want anything and so we got back our runs and so we are happy. If there is any minor thing wrong with my bus then I will fix it."

Reporter
"So there is no major damage to your bus?"

Mateo Choco, BBOC
"Yes, there are minor damages to my bus but I will fix that myself."

And as the busses left the compound, it was clear not everyone was as happy:

Bus Driver
"They mess up my tires and my ignition and my tools are missing."

Reporter
"So how much in damages are there?"

Bus Driver
"About $1,200."

But - overall the mood was one of satisfaction and from a practical and political perspective, Martinez reveled in it:

Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez
"It is a good day for the country, good day for the commuters and good day for the bus owners."

No one was charged as a result of the events on Friday.

Channel 7

Bus owners; are they on the road to recovery?

Last Friday, the transportation industry came to a screeching halt when members of the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative staged a protest closing off the northern and western highways. It resulted in the blockage of all major thoroughfares as well as the burning of tires across the Western and Northern Highways. Commuters were unable to take public transportation from as early as four o’clock in the morning in the west to as late as eleven in the north. The protest signaled the frustration of bus owners over new daily runs granted by the Ministry of Transport to the West Line Company owned by Sergio Chuc, a stalwart supporter of the government for runs in the northern zone. When we left you on Friday, the protest was called off following discussions with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who admitted that mistakes had been made. All day today negotiations between bus operators and transport officials remained ongoing in the aftermath of the massive countrywide shutdown. This morning the Belizean Bus Association’s president Thomas Shaw revisited the negotiating table. Although Shaw had indicated that they had lost confidence in the Minister of Transport, Melvin Hulse, the first order of business today was a meeting with Hulse. What has been agreed so far is that a handful of runs have been taken away from Sergio Chuc’s West Line which means that BBOC buses can resume runs to the western zone. News Five spoke with Shaw in Belmopan via phone earlier today to get an update on the transport situation.

Voice of: Thomas Shaw, President, Belizean Bus Association

Thomas Shaw

“So far in the west BBOC, the cooperative, has been given the runs in the west. They have gotten eight runs in the west, four out of the west and five, nine runs in the west actually. So we’ll have like four runs coming out in the morning and from west to east and then we’ll have the other runs from east to west, vice versa. So basically these runs should commence on Wednesday. Now the runs in the north are still under negotiations due to the fact that the operators in the north we had a meeting yesterday and the outcome of that meeting [unsatisfactory]. I don’t think it was really working out because everybody was actually just looking out for themselves and we had two guys there that were representing basically some of the newcomers and that wasn‘t really working out in the favor of our other members. So we’re holding a meeting today in Belmopan and we’re going to see what’s the outcome of it. But as for the west, for the west Sergio Chuc has five runs being taken away from him in the west, that’s from Belize City to San Ignacio and that will be replaced by the BBOC. So, BBOC will be running in both directions this coming Wednesday.”

Channel 5

BBOC Back On The Road!

When we left you last night, President of the Belize Bus Association Thomas Shaw was asking for the prime minister to intervene once again. He explained that in giving 9 runs in the west to the Belize Bus Owners Cooperative - the folks at the Transport department had stepped on the toes of at least one western operator, Guerra's bus who was losing a number of his runs to the BBOC - without any prior knowledge.

Shaw's explanation was backed up by a letter form the Guerra's Bus Line flatly refusing to give up any runs to the BBOC. So, another impasse, right? Well, that one only last for a few hours.

Shaw today told us that Guerra held meetings at the Ministry of Transport up until after 7:00 pm - and by the end of it, he was sufficiently convinced and agreed to give up the runs t BBOC.

And so today, BBOC busses were back on the Western Highway - making a total of 9 western runs starting at 10:00 this morning - the first western runs they've made since May 21st.

Now they are still expecting eight or so runs in the north, but scheduling these is proving to be a little tricky and those details are still being worked out.

Channel 7