Fiji Bus Operators Association wants an urgent review of bus fares while FCCC says their assessment will be complete by early May

The Fiji Bus Operators Association is urging the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission to review bus fare prices considering the continued increase in fuel prices that risks ruining operators while FCCC says bus fares will change and the stark reality is that it is likely to increase.

Association spokesperson Priscilla Serevi says from tomorrow, diesel prices increase by 22.27% to $2.79 a litre which is a vast overnight hike and is a major operational cost for bus operators.

She says bus operators are not able to pass on any of these increased costs to consumers without a bus fare increase.

Serevi says this in turn further increases the financial pressure on bus operators and a continued delay in finalising the bus fare increase, pushes operators further towards ruin and brings closer the imminent collapse of the bus industry.

The spokesperson further says bus operators will not be able to continue providing services to the travelling public should these impacts not be mitigated with an immediate fare review.

Serevi adds bus operators stand ready to work with stakeholders to ensure services are not interrupted, however, serious and urgent consideration needs to be given to an immediate fare increase to enable bus companies to continue operating.

Meanwhile, FCCC CEO, Joel Abraham in a press conference earlier this week confirmed bus fares will change, but they will do their best to balance the interests of bus companies with those of all travelling Fijians.

He says they have a stringent bus fare review process that will determine if a change in the bus fare is needed and by how much.

The CEO says they are in the final stages of assessing the cost components and is expecting the completion of this exercise by early May.

He says the increase in fuel prices will have a trickle-on effect on other services that rely heavily on fuel and also confirmed that they have received submissions from bus operators seeking a 60% increase in Stage 1 fares and a 25% to 30% increase in the other stages.