Public transport costs remain high despite drop in the petrol price
While a decrease in the petrol price is good news for many people, those using public transport say it has no effect on them.
POLOKWANE – While a decrease in the petrol price is good news for many people, those using public transport say it has no effect on them.
Several people depending on public transport questioned why taxi and bus tariffs increased when there was a hike in the petrol price, but were never reduced when the petrol price was decreased.
According to Joyce Ramaloka who depended on public transport, she paid between R600 and R1 000 per month depending on whether she used a bus or a taxi. “Every time the petrol price goes up the taxi and bus fees goes up. We never see the fares going down. We just keep on paying more and more,” she said.
Taxi owner Raymond Ramahala said the problem with taxi fees was that there was no standardised rate for drivers. He said some taxi drivers charged their own prices and even charged different customers varied prices.
He said taxi drivers who did not belong to a taxi association also tended to do this. “These people charge whatever they want and mess up business for the drivers who belong to associations, and who try to make an honest living,” he said.
He further said many taxis used diesel, and the price of diesel was still very high.
Okie Ramaoke, public relations officer of the Seshego Taxi Association, said different associations had different set tariffs depending on the distance of the specific route.
He said the association only adjusted taxi tariffs in the case of a huge increase or decrease in the petrol price. “Over the last three months the petrol price has gone steadily up, and our prices were increased. This small drop in the petrol price is not enough for us to decrease our prices. If it goes down again significantly, we will adjust our prices accordingly,” he said.
Majana Bus Services owner, Willie Groenewald, said bus companies’ prices were calculated in consideration of many factors besides the petrol or diesel price.
“Other factors are the prices of competing bus agencies and the time of the year also affects prices,” he said.
Transport spokesperson Kagiso Mootane said taxi associations and bus companies that were subsidised by government were given recommended standard prices, and they were expected to comply with these rates. She said while an increase in the petrol price would usually see an increase in transport tariffs, the opposite was not necessarily applicable when the petrol price went down.
