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No hike in bus fares

Aug 14, 2013 News

…union rejects any intentions
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Irfaan Ali confirmed yesterday that there is no hike in mini-bus fares. The Minister was responding to questions about a document allegedly stamped and signed by his office which purports that minibus fares on almost all bus routes would be raised by as much as $40.
The Minister said that he is unaware of any bus hikes while mentioning that he has not seen any document purporting the increase.
The matter was brought to the fore by President of the Minibus Association, Eon Andrews. He told the media that the minibus union was made aware of an attempt to hike the price in bus fares. After investigating the matter, Andrews said he was able to attain a hardcopy of the said document which shows that bus fares were raised for both children and adults; prices for some routes more than others.
Andrews said, however, that the minibus union opposes any hikes that may be in mind for commuters. He said that the Tourism Ministry has no authority to dictate what bus drivers must charge.
“The union is not in support of any increase in fares, because we have already put an extra $20 on the fare two years ago.” He said they were not too keen on the increase even then, but thought commuters could handle the increase.
“The union and its members collaborate on the pricing, so it would be rather irresponsible for the Ministry to introduce an increase in bus fares without consulting us,” Andrews said. He indicated that a rise in bus fares with the current situation could be a recipe for trouble. He said that the hardcopy received with the price increases is stamped by the Tourism Ministry and “signed by someone”.
The union president urged that there be no hike in bus prices, and that any such move be consulted with the minibus union.
In the meantime, the use of commuter big buses remains a consideration. Minister of Transport, Robeson Benn said that the move to have big buses operating is still being considered, while proposals are yet to be made to Parliament.
The plan was mentioned since in 2009, when commuters complained about the hassle of using private minibuses. Fuel prices often play a major role in bus fare hikes. The big buses, it was said would ease not only the strain on passengers, but would also be economically efficient to operate.

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