Belizean buses can’t cross Mexican border on weekends
Posted: 02/02/2010 - 01:15 PM
Author: Aaron Humes
Amid concerns from Belizeans over the weekend that our neighbor to the North, Mexico, had closed its borders without warning, today the Mexican Embassy in Belize stepped forward for clarification.
According to press and consular officer Marcelino Miranda, Mexico is looking to streamline and modernize its national border policy and has been enforcing the timetable rule for cargo trucks and Mexican buses, but allowing Belizeans to get by.
Belizean buses now will only be allowed to cross the border at Santa Elena, Corozal, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays – the rest of the time and on weekends, passengers must utilize Mexican transportation to get to and from Chetumal.
Private vehicles and Belizean buses returning from Mexico are not affected, and the actual Customs and Immigration procedures continue as per normal.
Passengers will be required to exit the bus at the border and go through Mexican Customs and Immigration while the bus is screened, then rejoin the bus for the trip across. On the return, once Immigration is cleared, the passengers can cross, with no problem.
On weekends, we are told, the screening for the buses are not in effect, which is why the Belizean buses are not being allowed to cross.
Reports to Amandala are that many Belizeans traveling across the border on the weekend were concerned that the border had been closed entirely, but Miranda told us that those reports are untrue.
Buses will now be required to undergo a screening procedure involving gamma rays, which can detect the presence of illegally smuggled goods, firearms, drugs, and even undocumented immigrants.
Amandala understands from a reliable Mexican source that the Mexicans are only now putting their foot down because some Belizean drivers have been flouting the regulations for too long and those wishing to get contraband goods past the border posts use the bus as their means of transport, both of which Mexico wishes to avoid.
According to Miranda, the drivers got over a week’s worth of reminders from the Mexican officials at the border post, and they must now adapt to the enforced regulations. The procedure, Miranda stressed, is not “targeted” at Belizeans.
The Mexican Embassy is available to answer all concerns; already there are reports that Mexican taxi operators are overcharging passengers at the border to get from the post to downtown Chetumal.
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