Caribbean Sprinter Limited, a water taxi company, has filed a lawsuit against the San Pedro Town Council and the Trade Licensing Board over a relocation order issued on August 7, 2024. The council directed all water taxis, including Caribbean Sprinter, to vacate the central eastern coast of the island by December 31, 2024.
The company claims the order is unfair, illegal, and issued without consultation, arguing it will significantly affect their operations and financial investments in the town center. The High Court of Belize has granted Caribbean Sprinter permission to pursue a judicial review of the council’s decision.
According to court documents and Justice Martha Alexander’s ruling on August 11, 2025, the company has a valid arguable case, with the judge noting there was “no evidence of consultation taking place prior to the relocation letter.” Caribbean Sprinter maintains its license is valid and that the sudden relocation is detrimental, citing its investments at the current site.
The respondents, including the San Pedro Town Council under Mayor Gualberto “Wally” Nuñez, defended the decision as necessary to reduce congestion. They also claimed the company had unpaid fees that invalidated its license, an argument the court rejected. The case now centers on whether the council and licensing board acted within their legal authority.
“There is an arguable case with a realistic prospect of success,” Justice Alexander said in her ruling, allowing the judicial review to proceed. The lawsuit seeks to quash the relocation order and any related directives.
Attempts to obtain comments from Caribbean Sprinter management and the San Pedro Town Council were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the San Pedro Belize Express, another water taxi company, had already relocated from San Pedro’s town center to the south of the island, completing construction on its new facilities in January of this year.
The court’s decision will determine whether the council’s actions were lawful or amounted to overreach. This decision has broader implications for the governance of commercial operations on the island’s busiest waterfront. The case underscores ongoing tensions between local government policies and business interests in San Pedro’s tourism-driven economy.
