If you are planning on going to Chetumal on bus, before traveling, you should check if the bus driver has Mexican insurance because he won’t be able to cross the border without it – leaving you, the passenger, with the additional cost and stress of paying a taxi into Chetumal. That’s exactly what has been happening at the border these past few weeks. 

And, whether you like it or not, the bus insurance is a legal requirement that both Belize and Mexico had agreed to – one that is only now being enforced. Today we spoke to Mexican Ambassador to Belize Carlos Quesnel and he told us that there is no need for any issue; bus drivers on both sides of the border just need to follow the law and all will be fine. Here is how he put it.

H.E Carlos Quesnel - Mexican Ambassador to Belize
"We signed recently, that was in June, we signed an agreement both countries in order to promote better connectivity between both countries that was last June and with Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Transport in Mexico and we have had very good results. But part of the deal is that both countries comply with the legal requirements in this case, the buses need to have insurance and need to be registered in both countries. If Mexican buses come to Belize certainly they have to comply with the legal requirements in Belize. So if Belizean buses go to Mexico they have to comply with these requirements. We have been very gracious and very flexible with this but now we want the buses to comply with the Mexican requirements. I think the most important factor is that we as countries cooperate; we have a lot of promise of cooperation. We have a very good understanding, we feel very well in both countries, Belizeans that go to Mexico feel at home, Mexicans come to Belize, they feel at home and I am sure these small things will be resolved and that won’t affect the Belizeans going to Chetumal because Chetumal is their home as well."

So all bus drivers, both Mexican and Belizean, need to have their buses registered and insured. Quesnel says it is a straightforward process to get this done. 

We note that enforcement on the Mexican side only started after Corozal police arrested and detained a Mexican ADO bus driver whose Belizean insurance had expired.

Channel 7