“Clarifying the Objectives and Outcomes of the E-Mobility Pilot Project”

In July 2024, the European Union (EU) funded and launched the E-Mobility Pilot Project in Belize City, introducing two electric buses. The project, budgeted at 4.5 million euros, aims to advance low-carbon transportation with electric buses. It includes the deployment of electric buses, the development of a national transit app, and the creation of a comprehensive transport policy. 

Nonetheless, City Shuttle Limited expressed concerns about Belize City’s electric vehicle (EV) bus pilot project, citing potential financial impacts on June 25, 2024. The company, which has served Belize City for over 35 years, argues that the pilot project could severely affect its revenues. In a letter to the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Katherine Meighan and the Belize Business Bureau’s Arturo Lizarraga, City Shuttle Limited stated, “Our objection to the proposed EV Bus Pilot is however rooted in the reality that the Pilot i.e. (The EV buses managed by the Neil Hall and the City) will have a significant adverse impact on our daily gross revenues and financially destroy City Shuttle Limited within a few months of the launch.”

 

 

The company criticised Mayor Bernard Wagner’s claim that higher fares for EV buses would not affect City Shuttle Limited’s clientele, saying, “It is very difficult to defend the Mayor’s “assumptions” to support his thesis, i.e., that City Shuttle Limited and the other stakeholders’ clientele will not be affected in any way due to the impact of the additional BZE $1.00. being levied by the EV buses. Logic and common sense dictate that a portion of City Shuttle clientele will indeed make the shift. (especially in the early months after launch).”

City Shuttle Limited questioned the understanding of the Mayor and Neil Hall, noting, “The assertions on TV by the Mayor and Mr. Neil Hall confirm one of two things: either (i) Neither of them understand the fundamentals of the bus transportation industry or (ii) the objectives of the Mayor and Mr. Neil Hall are not as presented to the nation.”

In response, the UNDP and Belize City Council clarified that the pilot project’s goals include transforming the transport sector and exploring new business models in an official statement issued on August 14, 2024. According to the statement, the goal is to assess the buses’ performance under private-sector management, evaluate financial feasibility, and develop a business case for a potential public-private partnership to support both sectors. 

The statement explained, “We recognise the concerns of the private sector and their critical investment in Belize’s bus industry. As a result, this pilot project is designed not only to transform the transport sector but also to explore innovative business models and financing mechanisms, which are vital for cultivating a more advanced, private sector-driven development process,” the statement noted. “To achieve this objective, the project incorporates the adoption of EVs to enhance both inter-district and intra-city transit systems. As an executing agency for the intra-city pilot, the Belize City Council, through adaptation of its existing structure, manages and operates two electric buses as a part of its broader sustainable cities program. In contrast, the inter-district pilot will be managed and operated by the private sector. To support this initiative, the Cabinet has authorised the use of a two-year contract for managing and operating three additional electric buses,” it added.

 

 

The E-Mobility Pilot Project aims to improve low-carbon transportation and integrate modern energy services. It includes two intra-city and three inter-city electric buses. It aims to create frameworks for expanding electric vehicle use with contributions from key stakeholders, including financing bodies and government agencies.