From Bus Driver to Beacon of Strength: Carlos Lopez’s New Journey

For years, Carlos Lopez was a familiar sight on the streets of Belize City, known for his steady hands behind the wheel and his commitment to getting passengers where they needed to go. As a pioneer in the local bus industry, he built a reputation for affordable, reliable service — and earned the respect of an entire community. But life took a sharp turn when Carlos suffered not one, but two strokes. The road he once knew so well changed overnight. Now, instead of navigating city traffic, Carlos is navigating a new path — one defined by resilience, faith, and a deep sense of purpose. Though he’s no longer driving buses, he’s still moving forward, inspiring others with his strength and spirit. In tonight’s edition of The Bright Side, Sabreena Daly brings us the story of a man who, even in the face of loss, has found new meaning in the present.

 

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

If you’ve ever waited too long for a bus or squeezed into one that felt more like a sardine can, you’re not alone. Belize’s public transport system has long tested the patience of commuters, with aging buses, overcrowding, and unpredictable schedules becoming the norm. While some reforms are slowly rolling out, daily riders still face an uphill battle. But one man has been sounding the alarm, and offering solutions, for decades. Carlos Lopez, a veteran of the transport industry, is widely respected for his deep knowledge and unwavering commitment to better service. From behind the wheel to behind the scenes, Lopez has spent years pushing for change, earning him a reputation as both a pioneer and a people’s advocate.

 

Carlos Lopez, Former Owner, Lopez Shuttle

“I love being in a bus. I love driving a bus, and all I knew at the time were buses, so that’s why I opened the company to provide service for people. My priority were the customers, more specifically, small children and elderly women. I made sure I took care of them and in turn, they took care of me.”

 

Lopez began in the 1980s as a conductor. His legacy rolls through the streets of Belize City every day — in the form of affordable, comfortable, and accessible city shuttles. Many of them still follow the very routes Carlos Lopez first mapped out years ago. His vision didn’t just move people — it moved an entire system forward.

 

Carlos Lopez

“ Well, one of the primary things I Initiated when I started the bus runs was a different service at the time. At the time there was just a regular bus and so I introduced what I called “Dalla Ice”. At the time the fuel prices were only $3, so I could actually offer a service, an extra service with air condition buses.  I pioneered the West Landivar route. From West Landivar, Central American Boulevard, Yabourough and Downtown, I pioneered that bus run to get people to have a service available to go across the city. Instead of catching one bus at Faber’s road, and then going downtown, changing bus to Western River, I had one route across town.”

 

For years, Carlos Lopez was the driving force behind city transport, literally. Through his company, Lopez Shuttle, he set out to raise the bar offering Belizeans affordable, comfortable, and reliable rides across the city. But today, you won’t find Carlos behind the wheel. After surviving two strokes in 2023, Lopez now watches the very buses he once drove from a new vantage point, seated in his wheelchair along Princess Margaret Drive. It’s a quieter journey, but one filled with reflection and resilience.

 

Carlos Lopez

“ I cried many days because I was in bed and I couldn’t come out at all because I couldn’t move. My whole left side died, so I couldn’t move. And many days I cried in my bed, but when I got up, I told the Lord that he got me up and now. I now operate where I come and see buses run every day.”

 

Sabreena Daly

“While at the side of the road or the street?

 

Carlos Lopez

“What are you, what are you looking to see? Well, I’m making sure that headlights are working, I’m checking passengers in the bus, making sure that we’re operating positively.”

 

Grief doesn’t always come with goodbyes at a funeral. Sometimes, it’s the quiet ache of stepping away from a life you loved. Psychologist Nasima Reyes reminds us that grief can also mean losing a sense of purpose. For Carlos Lopez, that may be the hardest part, watching from the sidelines as the transport world he helped shape rolls on without him.

 

Nasima Reyes, Psychologist

“ Grief is any sense of loss, not necessarily with a loved one or death. It’s a universal response, or a normal response to any sort of loss that is causing significant distress within a person.”

 

Carlos Lopez

“ I grieved that I couldn’t drive my buses, first of all, and second, this year, in January, I lost my mother, so I had extra grief in my heart. But everything, all the grief that I have. I took it to the Lord in prayer and he soothed my heart.”

 

After years of battling emotional and physical pain, Carlos Lopez has reached what psychologists call the final stage of grief: acceptance.

He no longer dreams of returning to the driver’s seat or reliving the fast-paced days of Belize’s transport hustle. Instead, Carlos is learning to embrace a quieter, more reflective life—one grounded in faith. That faith, he says, has become both his refuge and his compass, guiding him through the uncertainty of change and helping him find peace in the present.

 

Carlos Lopez

“The Lord has given me strength. As i said earlier, I couldn’t walk. I could only pray. It was so bad. But I thank God that God gave me the strength.”

Nasima Reyes

“ It all comes back down to coming to a place of acceptance and recognizing where you are, recognizing what did not work and how you can move forward, with the tools and with the resources that you have gained.”

 

Lopez Shuttle may have a new face at the helm, but its service is still near to the heart of the Lopez patriarch.

 

Sabreena Daly

“Do you feel fulfilled with the legacy that you’ve led and you’ve left.”

Carlos Lopez

“To be honest with you, my heart is a joy because I’m able to pass on something that I worked on for my family and my wife. My two daughters and my son have been behind me and I feel good that I can leave it.”

 

Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.