Ministry of Transport Rejects BBA’s that Claims Electric Buses Will Strain Power Grid

The Ministry of Transportation has rejected the Belize Bus Association’s claim that expanding the National Bus Company’s electric bus fleet would place additional pressure on the national electricity grid.  The response follows the BBA’s call for the National Bus Company and the Belize City Council to suspend any further expansion of electric bus services until Belize’s power supply becomes more stable.  The Association argued that adding more electric buses at a time of load shedding, uncertainty over electricity imports from Mexico and financial pressure at BEL would be irresponsible. It estimated that charging a fleet of one hundred electric buses could create significant additional demand.  However, the Ministry says the BBA’s argument is based on misinformation because it does not account for how the NBC buses will be powered.  According to the Ministry, the charging stations for the electric buses being purchased for the National Bus Company will rely primarily on solar energy. Belize Electricity Limited will serve only as a secondary source of power.  The Ministry says this arrangement has been publicly explained on several occasions. Its response suggests that the electric bus programme will not depend mainly on BEL’s national grid, as the Bus Association contends.  The BBA has maintained that it supports cleaner and more modern public transportation but believes Belize must first stabilize its electricity supply. The Ministry, however, has given no indication that the Government intends to pause the National Bus Company’s electric bus programme.