In an effort to alleviate the traffic congestion on the island, The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) launched an experimental project that would regulate delivery trucks’ hours of operation. The pilot project applied to all large- delivery vehicles within San Pedro downtown and the regulation mandated all deliveries be done between the hours of 2AM and 7AM. Despite some opposition, the project officially began on Monday, April 11th, and one of the sole supporters was the multi-national Bowen and Bowen distributor. However, a few days after, the company abruptly defied the regulation, and is back to its normal delivery schedule.
The SPTC is disappointed, since they did not expect the company to back down after agreeing to a commitment with the local authorities. According to Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the majority of the suppliers and the businesses in town core fully support this initiative. According to him, they claim that it makes their job easier early in the morning and it does contribute to the alleviation of traffic. Bowen and Bowen’s insubordination was unexpected, and Mayor Guerrero says that the company owes a lot to the island.
“San Pedro Town is the biggest client Bowen and Bowen has,” said Guerrero. “The highest demand for their products come from our island and they know that.” The SPTC believes that it was very unprofessional on Bowen and Bowen’s part to rule out their regulation. In fact, they claimed that management of their distribution centre on the island confirmed that when they experience shortages, it is due to Ambergris Caye’s high demands.
But why has Bowen and Bowen not kept their word? The answer, says the SPTC, is the mischievousness of the barge companies who have been opposing the project before it even began. According to Guerrero, they are not abiding by the regulation and Bowen and Bowen has pointed out that the SPTC is not doing anything to stop them or enforce the rule. “This is the excuse Bowen and Bowen has to not abide by the regulation,” said Guerrero. He stated that enforcement will be stricter, but local authorities are trying to avoid any escalation with these businesses that are against the project. “I want to work together with everybody; there is no need to fight. It is just a matter of understanding each other and realizing that all of these new changes are for the betterment of everyone on the island.”
As the pilot project is coming to an end, the office of the Mayor has been receiving letters from the business community and other organizations in support of the initiative. The regulation is about to experience a different twist at the request of its supporters. In a last effort to reason with opposers, Guerrero is planning to sit down again with members of Bowen and Bowen and the barge companies that are challenging the regulation. He warned that if no agreement can be reached, the Town Board will take into consideration the approval from its supporters and turn the regulation into an official law. “We have already been working on the drafts to make it a policy and by next week we should be ready to submit it to the solicitor general for approval,” said Guerrero.
In the meantime, the SPTC hopes to reach an agreement with the opposition, and prior to any decision to by-pass the regulation into an official policy, they hope to get Bowen and Bowen and everybody else on board. The SPTC continues to ask everyone to work together with them in order to create a better San Pedro Town for both the residents and visitors alike.
The San Pedro Sun attempted to contact Bowen & Bowen, placing calls to both the local and main branch office. We were told that the person authorized to speak on the matter was out of the country and unavailable for comment.
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