SOME KOMBIS, BUSES CHARGING INCREASED FARES

MBABANE – Confusion and shock! These two words best describe the state some local commuters found themselves in after waking up to an increment of over 50 per cent in bus fares.

This comes after some certain kombis and buses, especially those servicing the Manzini-Siteki route, reportedly increased their fares.
Information sourced was that the kombis and buses were now charging above the fares commuters were accustomed to.

This shocked the commuters as some of them decried that they were not notified and questioned why it was implemented mid-month.
One of the commuters, who identified himself as Bongani, stated that in the morning, he was charged E23 for a trip he usually paid E10 for.
Another commuter, who was travelling from Siteki to Manzini, stated that while he was on board a bus, everyone was shocked when they were told about the fare hikes as they had E25 but ended up paying E40 for the trip. 

Another commuter spoke on the popular morning show ‘Letishisako’ that airs weekly on Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) stating that while he was on his way to work yesterday morning, they were told that from Matsetsa to Manzini it was no longer E15 but E27.  
When asked if they were told about the proposed increment, they all stated that they knew nothing about it until yesterday morning when they were about to pay the fare.

“The conductor said there were papers they had placed of a gazette which indicated that there was going to be a hike but we never saw them,” said one of the commuters.
It was reliably gathered that some commuters reportedly refused to pay the new fares and opted for the kombis and buses that charged the ones they were used to.

Hiked

According to a marshal based in Manzini, working on the same Siteki route, commuters were asking if they had hiked the fares in every bus or kombi they intended to board. “The whole day yesterday, we were explaining that the hikes were effected,” he said.

Information sourced from a member of the Eswatini Local Transport Association (ELTA) Siteki branch, who did not want to be named, was that transport operators from that region met, discussed and agreed to hike the fares. According to the source, this was necessitated by the fuel hike.
 “They then agreed to hike within the limit of the 2015 gazette,” added the source.

The National Roads Transportation Council’s (NRTC) Chairperson, Sihlangu Nhlabatsi, in an interview, stated that the hike they had proposed with government had nothing to do with the one that was causing the confusion. Clarifying the current situation, he said as of December 7, 2015, there was a gazette that granted them permission to hike fares by implementing a certain maximum for every distance.

He added that they did not have the power to dispute operators’ intentions to hike fares.
“Ours is to guard that the fares are increased within the range of the gazette,” said Nhlabatsi.
 When asked if the proposed new hikes would also be implemented, Nhlabatsi said it would depend on the operators who had vehicles on those routes to discuss and agree on.
“They will then have their own meetings where they will discuss and agree on the charges as long as they are within the limits,” narrated Nhlabatsi.

Meeting

Nhlabatsi was from a meeting with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Consumers’ Association where they were finding common ground regarding the percentage which the proposed hike should be placed at. Narrating the proceedings of the meeting, Nhlabatsi stated that they initially wanted 67 per cent, which was equivalent to locals moving from E6 to E10, a figure government did not approve of.

“Today (yesterday) we reached common ground as the minister asked that we hike to about 25 per cent and we agreed to it,” added Nhlabatsi. He said that was going to be effective once there was a government gazette issued.  In simplified terms, this means that short distance charges will move from E6 to E8.

However, in the meeting, it was resolved that once the proposed hike comes into effect when the gazette is out, vehicles servicing short distances (locals) will only charge E7.50 and the E0.50 was going to be effected as of June 1, 2020. 

Breaking it down, Nhlabatsi stated that for a distance of zero to eight kilometres, it was going to be 25 per cent increment while at nine to 50km it was going to be 10 per cent and five per cent from 51km going up.

In a brief interview with Minister Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, he said their meeting with the NRTC was a success. He added that he was yet to discuss the outcome of the meeting with Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini. “We will then deliver a report to Parliament where a verdict is going to come out,” he said. On the issue of the effected hikes, the minister stated that there was nothing that was formally communicated to the ministry about it.
Gazette
He, however, stated there was no one who was supposed to charge more than what was in the 2015 gazette.
When asked if by that he meant that the transport operators had a right to increase the fares, he said communication was ideal when such was to be implemented.

“A gazette is like a law so what is in it is legal hence communication and the consideration of stakeholders was key as they were the ones generating the money,” he said.  When asked as to how much time commuters were to be given as a notice before the hike was implemented, Ndwandwe said it depended on a date on the gazette and another that was discussed.

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