On September 27, 2026, members of the Belize Bus Association (BBA) gathered for their Annual General Meeting, where they voted in a new leadership team headed by Froylan Gilharry, who will take the reins of the organization from outgoing president Phillip Jones.
Alongside Gilharry, the newly elected executive committee features Adelric R. Tillett as vice president, Oscar A. Pollard as secretary, Juliet Dawson as assistant secretary, Evangelina Waight as treasurer, Claude Fraizer as advisor, and Roxana Chan as councillor.
Jones, who stepped into the presidency during a period of unprecedented industry challenges including skyrocketing fuel prices and complex subsidy negotiations with the Belizean government, chose not to run for another term. He explained that his decision to step down stemmed from growing personal commitments that require more of his time and focus. Describing the BBA presidency as a demanding yet rewarding voluntary role driven by passion for the public transportation sector, Jones noted that he had fulfilled his responsibilities to the association and believes it is time for fresh leadership to guide the organization forward.
Jones also addressed public speculation that his decision to step down was tied to his approved government school bus routes, clarifying that he held these contracts before he was first elected president, and that they had no impact on his choice to leave office. He added that he will remain an active member of the BBA as it transitions to new leadership.
For his part, new president Gilharry has taken office with clear priorities centered on addressing longstanding systemic issues with Belize’s Transport Board. Gilharry described long-running problems with the board’s structure as a “structural problem” that successive governments have failed to repair regardless of their political affiliation. To tackle this issue, he plans to bring all key stakeholders to the negotiation table, including bus owners, daily commuters, and representatives from financial institutions — groups that bear the direct impact of the current dysfunction.
A core part of Gilharry’s advocacy will center on small local bus operators, who he argues have long been unfairly targeted as scapegoats for industry-wide issues and denied the respect and recognition they deserve. He emphasized that the domestic bus industry remains one of the last major sectors fully owned and operated by Belizeans, making its preservation a critical priority for the nation’s economy and local communities.
Viewers can tune into News 5’s 6 PM evening broadcast for a full breakdown of Gilharry’s full policy agenda for leading the BBA.