License Plates Finally Back in Belize

The long wait is over! This morning, the Department of Transport started handing out license plates, stickers, and driver’s license cards to those who have already paid. Many drivers, especially in rural areas, have been waiting for months, even years, for these. The department began its tour in Belmopan today, where we spoke with Minister of Transport Rodwell Ferguson. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

After years of waiting, Belizeans can finally collect their license plates, stickers, and driver’s licenses. Today, the Belize Transport Department launched a nationwide distribution tour in Belmopan, sending out multiple teams to district offices across the country to provide extra support. Minister of Transport Rodwell Ferguson admitted that the delay has caused significant inconvenience to the public.

 

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport

“ I feel very guilty to a certain extent because I’m the minister responsible for transportation that covers rice and plates and stickers.  And so on a regular basis, I keep telling the staff that we need to fix this issue. And so over the last month and a half, the CEO and myself sat down and tried to find a solution.  And so we made a very large order to the Ministry of Finance and asked them for their approval. So today and over the next three weeks, we are going to have ten thousand license plates total of different categories.”

 

This initiative is designed to make the distribution process smoother, clear up the backlog, and improve customer satisfaction. It kicked off today in Belmopan and will continue in Belize City on Friday, then move to Corozal and Orange Walk on Monday, and wrap up in Dangriga, Independence, and Punta Gorda on Tuesday.

 

Rodwell Ferguson

“So we’re hoping that we can now be able to come back to normalcy to make sure we always have license plates and stickers. As a person comes to license, he’s a whole vehicle.  It’s an embarrassment to the ministry and I want to make sure that embarrassment is over. So I can safely say that this will be a thing of the past. So today, as we are issuing, I think in San Ignacio, Santa Elena and Belmopan, and eventually we’ll go north, Belize City, and end up all Punta Gorda. So I asked the staff to also have a license plate show, so that the people come in and bring their receipts and get their license plates and their stickers as they come in.”

 

To pick up their documents, customers need to show their receipts as proof of payment and the original Certificate of Title from the same office where they paid. One driver, Daniel Orellano, is relieved to finally have his license in hand.

 

Britney Gordon

“So how long have you been waiting to get your driver’s license or license plate?”

 

Daniel Orellano, Cayo Driver

“Around one month. Yeah.”

 

Britney Gordon

“So how are you feeling after coming here today and finally picking it up?”

 

Daniel Orellano

“Well, after a long, a long month waiting, I feel comfortable already. Because every time I pass through a checkpoint, they always, they ask for the plate, for the license.  So now, I feel good.”

 

Britney Gordon

”Which one are you picking up?”

 

Daniel Orellano

“The plate and the license.”

 

Ferguson has implemented a new strategy with the Transport Department to ensure that this delay never happens again.

 

Rodwell Ferguson

“It could be a miscalculation. And we live in a very small developed country, we don’t expect to have so many motor vehicles. So I emphasize to the staff that now there must be a minimum stock level and a maximum stock level. So once you reach a hundred for argument’s sake, it’s time to reorder license plates. Don’t wait until you reach zero or five.”

 

Ferguson says the ministry is pushing for a budget increase to keep enough stock on hand and prevent future shortages.

 

Rodwell Ferguson

“There should be no shortages. And hopefully by May, because of the backlog and present requests by May, we can put in another big order. We even asked the Minister of Finance to increase the budget for license plates and stickers. We’re hopeful that this will not happen in the future.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.