Land Transport Authority Chair Inosi Kuridrani has refused to make further comments with regards to his earlier statement where he said the LTA has recommended to the government to open up the market and get more e-ticketing service providers to compete.
When contacted by fijivillage News, Kuridrani stressed he will not speak further on the issue.
Meanwhile, Fiji Bus Operators Association consultant Mick Beddoes says suggesting changes to the e-ticketing system while it is still in the 'roll out' stage of upgrading, is counterproductive and is not likely to help matters.
Beddoes says with regards to the Minister's references to the local travelling market, in 2018 in the total annual public service users averaged 317,817 per day and in 2024 this number was 207,304 a day, a reduction of 110,514 (34.7 percent) in public transport passengers per day.
He says what is perhaps lost in this issue is that the Fiji bus industry, although privately owned, has for decades maintained one of the lowest bus fares in the world where the current fare cost is 68 cents per 6 kilometre, which is 11.3 cents per kilometre.
Beddoes says while he is not making any excuses for anyone involved, the fact is Vodafone Fiji was successful in the tender process, and therefore should have the right to implement and operate the service.
He says in addition it should be noted that Vodafone Fiji is now a 100 percent local owed operation by Amalgamated Telecom and as of 2002, FNPF owns 72.25 percent while the Government owns 17.29 percent so the 423,144 FNPF members, many of whom may well be users of the public transport system, earn their percentage return on their funds from this venture.
Beddoes says there is a solution to this and he has no doubt they will find it.
While responding to questions by fijivillage News, Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission CEO Senikavika Jiuta says they are addressing this issue with all relevant authorities which include Telecommunications Authority of Fiji, Ministry of Communications, Vodafone Fiji and Land Transport Authority.
She says it is a joint effort to address the concerns noted by each entity and they are collectively working on it to resolve the issues.
Jiuta adds it is best that there is an understanding of the intention of e-ticketing services and when it was initially established.
The top system is only through Vodafone’s MPAiSA system.
Questions have been raised on why other direct payment options are not available to people.
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