IPOH, 19 Jan 2009: The government has found a formula to resolve the public transport fare issue including the surcharge imposed by bus and taxi operators, said Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar.
“The formula will be announced after a meeting with representatives of all the public transport operators and consumer associations. It will ensure that the operators do not lose out while the consumers are not burdened,” he said after giving away prizes at the Bank Rakyat golf competition here today.
The first meeting with representatives of express bus, city bus, taxi and school bus operators would be held in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.
Noh said the fare and surcharge were not only based on the oil price but also considered other costs like maintenance of vehicle, worker salary and the price of spare parts.
Federation of Malaysian School Bus Operators Association president Chee Ah Tey had demanded a 30% surcharge to its the existing fare.
He threatened that its 8,000 members would hold a two-week strike next month if demand for a fare increase and diesel subsidy were not met.
Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) chairperson Datuk Markiman Kobiran reminded the association that the government had met many of its demands and that the government and not CVLB was responsible for any fare increase.
The government had last July increased the diesel quota for school buses to 180-1,230 litres monthly according to vehicle capacity. — Bernama
