A less trafficked and congested downtown San Pedro has always been in the local government’s plan. While this has been a difficult task in the past, the current San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) is working closely with stakeholders to achieve this goal. One of the expected changes is the relocation of the water taxi companies. The two operating on the island’s east side that run to and from Belize City are San Pedro Belize Express (SPBE) and Caribbean Sprinter. The SPBE has started constructing its boat terminal south of town along Coconut Drive.
The project will be completed this year and is already well underway. Currently, the SPBE is operating at the municipal dock in front of the central park. The Sun contacted the water taxi company inquiring about their upcoming terminal, but no details were shared. The cement over-the-water structure appears to be a facility that may house other services for the convenience of its customers, with an extended dock to accommodate SPBE’s larger vessels that may need deeper waters. This new boat terminal also has a seafront extension, which will house additional structures and reportedly an area for parking, unloading, loading, and dropping off passengers.
Meanwhile, no plans for relocation were shared by Caribbean Sprinter. They continue operating on the former Fidos’ Courtyard and Restaurant dock north of SPBE. According to Mayor Gualberto’ Wally’ Nuñez, the agreement was for the water taxis to relocate by the end of 2023; however, an extension was considered for SPBE because they are still building their boat terminal. The Mayor said they will further discuss this with Caribbean Sprinter because all water taxi companies must relocate from the downtown area. The Mayor suggested two locations for Caribbean Sprinter. “They either relocate to the Sunset Boardwalk boat terminal on the lagoon side or relocate further north,” said Mayor Nuñez. With this development in the downtown area, the SPTC expects to reduce the traffic congestion and promote a family and child-friendly environment in areas like the central park.
Attempts to relocate the water taxi companies have been taking place since 2016. The former SPTC administration discussed a relocation plan in August 2016 for both boat companies to the Sunset Boardwalk International Boat Terminal on the lagoon side, which was built to accommodate all water taxis on the island. Assessments were conducted on the lagoon channel with a tour of the areas to discuss a potential new route along the island’s west side with representatives of the water taxi companies, SPBE, and the then Ocean Ferry. The water taxi representatives argued that the waters on the lagoon side are too shallow for some of their vessels. They also pointed out that the new route would increase their traveling time, which could result in their passengers’ dissatisfaction and increase fuel consumption, which would then lead to an increase in boat fares. But in a show of cooperation, they agreed to consider the relocation if proper dredging was done on the lagoon channel.
No progress occurred in the next two years, but in January 2019, the SPTC started dredging the lagoon channel. They were determined to meet the water taxi demands and successfully convince them to relocate to the Sunset Boardwalk International Boat Terminal. At that time, the SPTC planned to complete the project in a few months. However, the dredging was reportedly not completed, and none of the water taxi companies relocated to the lagoon.
The international terminal at the lagoon side is yet to be fully operational, running only to Corozal Town in northern Belize and to the City of Chetumal, Mexico. Besides that, it houses the Belize Tourism Board branch office on the island and customs and immigration. The terminal was completed in 2014 via the government’s investment of $5.6 million. Many islanders noted that no consultations were done before the construction of the boat terminal. They believe that the issue with the shallow lagoon waters could have been addressed before investing such a large amount of funds made available via a loan taxpayers would be responsible for.
