Hi, we are staying north of town and just found out we will have to pay the toll to cross the bridge EVERY time we choose to use our golf cart to cross. Is there a discount anywhere or even a weekly pass? We will only be there a week so it does not make sense for us to purchase a monthly pass but were sooo looking forward to using the golfcarts all week rather than walking/biking!

Try asking your resort,
we heard Gand Caribe is helpful in splitting the weeks with guests.You may want to consider bikes now that the road is done, if your resort cant help;let them know your concerns.Good Luck
see ya soon

So, what has changed?

Yes, this is the case for us as well, staying a ways north of town. Paying the bridge fee once or even twice a day seems awfully expensive and unnecessary. Any help on this would be appreciated.

C-

How much is the bridge fee??

2:50 USD each way.

Thanks, Papashine. That's a mighty pricey toll!

The big monthly DISCOUNTED PRICE for a bridge pass is $75.00 USD per month or $150.00 BZE per month . That's $900.00 USD a year to cross over a bridge over water which is a creek width at best.It's outrageous ,and local government does not understand they are just pushing expats away with all the fees direct and indirect that add to the costs of living on Ambergris Caye.

It is quite outrageous as you say, but please show me the expats that have been pushed away because of this?

can't "show 'em"..they're gone....

Would these be the same expats that were/are willing to pay to get to the island in the first place, let alone cross a bridge?

The assumption that people are leaving because of the bridge fee is ludicrous. Stay south of the bridge to avoid the issue completely. How many times a day are people going to go across the bridge anyway?

Gee I dunno T-Man1 & Seashell,

I was at the airstrip the other day picking up a buddy and overheard a cab driver and a newly arrived fare talking the cost of getting to Tres Cocos. The driver told the fare about the bridge fee and the fare promply grabbed his bags, walked up to Tropics counter, and said, "Get me back to Belize City pronto! That bridge fare is outrageous! I'm leaving!"

Overhearing this, a crowd of some 25 heavily luggaged people wearing "Burn the Clocktower" t-shirts (obviously ExPats) who had just arrived in line behind him chimed in. "Yes! Yes! We are too! We simply cant abide that damned bridge toll...we tried selling and moving south of the bridge into that great SACNW area but it's sooooo popular there's nothing available! So we're leaving! Goodbye to that effing bridge!! It's just flat out driven us away!"

Bahahaha! and I'm sorry in advance Seashell that was one of my less diplomatic more nonsensical posts ...

Ha! Bear, I loved it. Keep up the good work.

A Fee? I ve just spent thousands as a tourist, I cant swing the Bridge fee. What? oh... 2 belikins please

Well I feel the issue is more of the price. The price of $5.00 a trip to drive a golf cart over certainly seems excessive based on the scant distance and use of a cart.

This fee wouldn't feel so excessive if it were going towards maintenance and repairs. It seems there is no accountably for this money.

Excellent point, kathyw!

I rode a bike across the other day and didn't see where anyone was there to make you pay, nor did I see anyone paying when they took their golf carts across.

The golf carts you saw not paying may have had a monthly pass.

I pass over the bridge at least once a day and because I have a pass and they have checked it many times over the months I'm usually waved by. The bridge cashier and the traffic department personal know most of the people who have passes and that is why you see them pass through.

Of course the traffic department was out of passes for a few days last week. Another day they had an audit and the cashiers office was closed for transactions during the audit so you couldn't buy a pass and of course they close between 12 noon and 1. Welcome to Belize, this is what makes it interesting.