BUS FARE DILEMMA

Schools need to issue letters to its students who would be attending athletics training after school.

This is to avoid their having to pay an adult bus fare when boarding the bus after 5pm to get home.

This was stated by the Fiji Bus Operators Association president, Nisar Ali, after concerns were raised by some parents that their children had been paying an adult fare throughout the past week after their training session.

“School is over by 3.30pm and we expect all children to have boarded their buses before 5pm. If there are special circumstances, then I urge schools to provide these students with letters stating why they were late,” he said. “Because there are some students who loiter around town as well and we cannot say if they are returning from training or elsewhere.”

Parent, Salaseini Waqa said her daughter who is in Year 10 finishes her training around 5pm.

She said, last week, her daughter had been paying an adult fare from Suva to Nausori, $1.55, and she uses a yellow card.

“This is not the government’s issued blue card. There is a time limit on the blue card, but not on the yellow card. And my child is going back home from school.” Rusiate Verebasaga of Nakasi said: “We need an explanation on what is happening and why are the students being charged full fare,” he said.

However, he added that he understood that student fares were not applicable in the weekend. The Land Transport Authority would comment on the matter later.