Even Bus di war in Belize

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Bus Wars, The Ramos REMIX!

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And from a van to a bus….On Tuesday night's newscast, we told you about the accident between two competing lines, which happened at the foot of the Vernon Street Bridge. On Saturday evening, a Stuart Bus and a Ramos Bus ended up wedged together after they both tried to get over the bridge at the same time. It's part of the ongoing bus wars where the different companies jostle for passengers, and depending on who you talk to, the other party is at fault. 2 days ago, Darren Stuart told us that it was the driver of the Ramos Bus who was at fault. From Stuart's perspective, the Ramos Bus driver tried to overtake him on the approach of the bridge, and that's what caused the accident.
Well, this evening, Bert Ramos called us to complain that this wasn't how it happened. Ramos told us that his son was giving way to a vehicle in front of him, and in that moment, it was Stuart who tried to overtake him in the inside lane.

This evening, he told us that he requested the interview with us because he wanted the opportunity to present his side. We challenged him on the unethical driving practices on the road which puts the commuters' lives at risk, and here's how that went:

Bert Ramos - Owner of Ramos Bus Company
"My bus left Pound Yard on the way to Lord's Bank, crossed over the Pound Yard Bridge, headed to the fish market bridge and on the approach of Vernon Street by the fish market bridge they had a vehicle coming straight across Vernon Street. So, my driver, who is my son, had to stop so that the vehicle, who has the right of way, goes ahead. At that time now Stuart came and tried to fit himself between the kennel and the bus. My bus is at the front, there is no way how Ramos bus could overtake Stuart Bus when my bus was at the front. I just want to take this moment to tell the passengers that I'm really sorry for the inconvenience at that time. I heard Mr. Stuart talk about the transport department to pay to have somebody out there. Man, we are big men, I am a big man, Mr. Stuart is a big man, all the bus owners we are big men, we don't need any babysitter. We have our responsibility to see that the bus run according to how they are to run under the rules that the transport department gives us."

Daniel Ortiz- Reporter
"There has always been this complaint that the bus owners practice these unethical practices where you try your best to undercut your competitor by hanging back and then scooping up all the passengers and try to steal passengers from the other bus companies."

Bert Ramos
"Anyone of the bus companies that leave, they take their time to get their passengers. Because of the amount of buses that are out there you can't run. If you leave from Pound Yard at 3 o clock and the transport department told you that you should take 15 minutes from Pound Yard to Palotti or 45 minutes from Lords Bank to Belize City, then that's what we are going by. Mr. Stuart problem is that he wants to eat everybody's pie. Me personally, I hate that my bus is on news for an accident. It makes me feel down. So, Mr. Stuart feels proud to have a Halloween show that his bus is in an accident."

Daniel Ortiz
"Whichever bus company it is, there is this racing on the road trying to undercut the competitor."

Bert Ramos
"Chief, I can tell you this, if one person calls me and says Mr. Ramos, one of your bus is racing, right away I jump on the phone and call the driver. In fact, last week...right now as we speak I have a driver on three weeks suspension right now. One passenger called me and said the driver didn't look right, he looked intoxicated. So, I get into my truck went to meet the bus and when I looked at the driver's face he never looked proper. So, right away I took the bus from him and I drove the bus coming to Lord's Bank and he is in three weeks suspension right now. I am no nonsense when it comes to people's lives and my business. I don't tolerate nonsense."

So, as you saw, it's now a case of he said, he said. Only surveillance footage, if it exists, can clear up who is at fault in this accident.
 
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