State backs bus operators
GOVERNMENT has backed the stance of bus operators not to reduce bus fares saying that the drop in fuel price is too minimal to warrant any bus fare reduction.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba said that government would not press bus operators to reduce bus fares for now.
Mr Mushimba said the reduction of fuel prices would enable bus operators to break even in terms of business operations and re-capitalize on losses they had incurred.
He said that government would ask the bus operator to reduce fares if the fuel prices continued to go down.
In most cases, the prices of fuel fluctuated up and down and rushing for a reduction might become an administrative nightmare for the bus operators, he said.
He added even the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) did not rush to increase or reduce fuel prices when the price barrels of oil dropped or increased on the international market due to fresh holder triggers that needed to be considered before taking any action.
“As government looking at the small reduction in fuel, we are not too worried that the bus operators have not reduced their (bus) fares. But if fuel continues going down, certainly that is something of interest, government will press on bus operators to reduce on their fares so that everyone benefits,” he said.
Yesterday Capital “flash” buses proprietor Ishmael Kankara said the drop in fuel prices will not trigger a reduction in bus fares because the drop in the price was too minimal.