WELCOME KITE SEASON IN BELIZE

In Belize our seasons are different, we have the dry season and the wet season. As we approach Lent the temperature has risen and the winds have picked up quite a bit, perfect for picnics, flying kites and even sack races. That little fellow who alleges he grew up as an unprivileged youth in Mesopotamia must have seen and liked quite a few back then. The first woman he sent to fly a kite was Doctor Carol Babb, although she did genuinely earn her doctorate degree, in his myopic eyes she was unqualified to hold the post of Secretary General of the United Democratic Party. The usurper then gave the job to Juliet Thimbrel, who he has now sacked because, after last week’s convention, her qualifications for the post of Secretary General of the United Democratic Party seem to have waned in direct relation to her loyalty to Big John. There is no doubt whatsoever that he wants a yes man, and that is something none of those women will stoop so low as to become. It is no secret that women in general are not appreciated on that side of the house, and strong-willed women are especially undesirable and are discarded as soon as they have fulfilled their purpose.

While on the topic of flying objects, it is safe to say that the collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations and the Ministry of the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation are really taking off. The projections for visitors this Spring Break and Easter Season promise to break even the pre-pandemic records and business will certainly be booming for the tourism sector. To that end, several key domestic aerodromes will see lighting upgrades and refurbishment of runways and aprons to accommodate increasing traffic and provide the airlift to power the tourism industry. The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Transport has also announced a phased approach to the modernization of public ground transportation. Although some of the bus companies are not in agreement with the changes, it has been in planning for some time now and could hardly come as a surprise. Commuters in Belize, both visitors and locals alike have a right to safe, efficient and comfortable transportation. There have been too many instances of buses catching fire on the road, too many accidents because of buses that were sincerely not road-worthy and simply too many lives disrupted because bus operators cannot deliver the runs on time due to non-functioning vehicles.

It cannot be that commuters must suffer the injustice of poor transportation so that operators can increase their profits. Major highways are currently being upgraded and maintained, the municipalities are also doing their part to rehabilitate their streets and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has been working tirelessly to improve rural roads across the country. To decrease fuel emissions, reduce the congestion of roads and increase the efficiency and safety of our transport it is imperative to upgrade fleets. The claim is simply this, the efficiency and effectiveness of our connectivity are directly linked to our productivity as a country. We simply cannot afford to continue to navigate the roads in castoff vehicles that are not permitted in other countries with good reason. We cannot compete with our neighbours in the tourism sector as their public transportation is more reliable and better than ours. Our productivity and costs are higher because newer vehicles are not only cheaper to maintain, but are also more fuel efficient, these savings could quickly be passed on to the commuter. We cannot continue to be penny-wise and pound-foolish.