On August 21, 2026, the Government of Belize laid out an ambitious plan to transform the nation’s ailing intercity bus system – a critical service that hundreds of thousands of residents rely on for daily access to work, education, healthcare and basic life necessities – through the introduction of the Public Transportation Investment Bill 2026, tabled during a special sitting of the House of Representatives.
For Belizeans, intercity bus travel is far more than a simple transit option. It is the lifeline that connects communities across the country. Minister of Transport Louis Zabaneh told legislators that between 8,000 and 12,000 commuters use intercity bus services every single day, and that number surges to between 15,000 and 16,000 during peak travel periods. With such widespread reliance on the system, Zabaneh framed public transit as a core national priority, calling it the undisputed “backbone of the national economy.”
For decades, however, the sector has suffered from gradual decline. Zabaneh acknowledged that 25 years of deterioration have left the system failing to meet the needs of the daily commuters who depend on it. The government’s solution centers on a full restructuring of the sector led by the newly reinvigorated National Bus Company, which Zabaneh says will deliver widespread benefits for residents across the country.
Once the restructuring is complete, Zabaneh argues that Belizeans will gain a far more reliable, efficient transit network that serves all geographic regions of the nation equitably, allowing residents to move freely and handle their daily needs without frequent disruptions or unreliable service. Beyond accessibility, the plan also delivers major economic and environmental gains: the current fleet runs almost entirely on diesel, a fossil fuel that drives up import costs for the country, so shifting to lower-emission vehicles will ease both fiscal and environmental burdens. “Our people deserve better,” Zabaneh noted.
Already, the government has begun rolling out early improvements to the system. The National Bus Company has added eight newer, upgraded buses to its existing fleet, and budget allocations are in place to acquire up to seven additional units in the near term. The government has also allocated $2.5 million for critical infrastructure upgrades at two of the nation’s busiest terminals, in Belmopan and Belize City, to improve passenger experience and operational efficiency.
Looking ahead to the long-term transformation of the sector, the government has set a bold target: to transition the entire National Bus Company fleet to fully electric buses by the end of 2027. Throughout the planning process, Zabaneh emphasized that the entire overhaul is centered on the needs of daily commuters – a priority that he says should have been at the core of public transit policy all along.