The new bus fare structure announced earlier this month, will take effect from today.
Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) CEO Joel Abraham explained that under the new structure, while student fares have been adjusted to align with adult fares, the Government has stepped in to fully subsidise this increase.
Abraham says to ensure that families are not burdened by the new fare structure, their assessment took into account that any changes have zero financial impact on students and parents.
He says as such, the Government’s subsidy ensures that any additional cost for students is completely covered, even during weekends and school holidays, and the adult fare remains unchanged.
For the blue card users, the Government will fully subsidise 100% of the additional student fare while for the yellow card users, students will continue to pay the current fare, with the remaining portion fully covered by the Government, applicable at all times, including during weekends and school holidays.
The FCCC says this fare adjustment follows a comprehensive review conducted by them which transitioned to a per-seat fare allocation model.
They say their review, which was conducted with close collaboration with bus industry operators, also ensures that bus operators receive fair compensation through a full cost allocation recovery model.
They add that this is aimed at sustaining the industry while maintaining affordability for consumers.
Abraham says with the new fare structure, bus operators must do their part to maintain and enhance service quality.
He says the FCCC will be closely monitoring the services provided by bus operators to ensure they meet the expected standards and provide value to passengers in line with the fare adjustments.
FCCC says they will begin the next bus fare review process in September 2024, starting with data gathering and comprehensive analysis to ensure that future fare adjustments continue to reflect current market conditions while balancing the interests of both consumers and the industry.
