Should bus fares be increased?

I know this is a topic that a lot of Jamaicans are passionate about and they are always eager to vent their feelings about the local transportation system. Many persons I spoke to lamented the challenges inherent in taking buses, such as long wait times and overcrowded conditions on the buses.

They insist that the bus fare that is collected is adequate and should not be increased.

To further strengthen their point, persons who take public transportation contend that if bus fare is increased significantly this will affect their ability to attend work regularly which will cause a decline in productivity. Their children will also be negatively affected as they will be unable to send them to school due to their inability to pay the increased cost of bus fares.

While such an argument is valid, the financial constraints have forced every sector of the economy to tighten its belt. The average bus fare is approximately $100 for an adult. An increase might be needed in order to keep the transportation system viable during these difficult times. However steps must be taken in order to protect the vulnerable members of society from being adversely affected by any increase.

I have a simple solution, only raise the fare of adults and not those of students or the elderly and infirmed. This might still cost some hardship but would preserve the ones who mostly benefit from the service. I also strongly believe that if the service was performed efficiently, more persons would be willing to pay the extra cost. After all if the service is improved, there will be no further cause for complaint.

As a driver I can also attest to the fact that some of these buses pull away from the bus stop with alarming speed which can result in accidents. There have also been unsavoury incidents of violence on these buses so perhaps a safety officer could be assigned to protect commuters, drivers and conductors.
Of course that brings up the question of money and according to Transport and Works Minister Dr Omar Davies, ‘the public transportation sector is teetering on the brink of a collapse and requires a fare increase to prevent its demise.’ Click to read full article http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130508/lead/lead2.html

Those are strong words and instead of playing the blame game we have to come up with real solutions to the public transportation crisis if we don’t want to return to the days when we walked everywhere.
Often I see half empty buses driving through town during the peak hours of traffic. Perhaps there can be some mutually beneficial arrangement where the bus company could offer special packages to schools. This arrangement can also be extended to companies who ‘book’ the buses for selected times and afterwards it is free to ply its route.

Of course, despite everyone’s best efforts the bus fare might still need to be increased so let us hope the increase will be one in which consumers can squeeze out of their already tight budget!
Do you think there should be a fare increase?

Tags: bus, consumer, customers, fares