Taxi operators across Fiji have lodged an urgent request for higher fares and a government fuel rebate after petrol and diesel prices spiked sharply this week, saying they can no longer absorb runaway operating costs that have been building since the last fare rise in 2010.
The Fiji Taxi Association (FTA) has made a fresh submission to the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) asking for a formal fare adjustment and a fuel rebate scheme. Association president Mohammed Faiyaz said drivers and vehicle owners are struggling to keep services running without passing some of the extra costs to passengers. “We need the increase — the cost of living has gone up,” Mr Faiyaz said.
The immediate trigger for the demand was a dramatic fuel update this week: unleaded petrol jumped by 49 cents a litre to $2.93 — a roughly 20 per cent increase — while diesel rose by 75 cents to $2.89, about a 35 per cent hike. The association says the latest “fuel shock” has left many drivers unable to meet day-to-day expenses and called on regulators and government to act promptly to prevent a transport squeeze for households.
The FCCC has asked taxi operators to submit detailed financial reports for independent verification before it will consider a fare increase. Mr Faiyaz said the same financial records have already been provided to the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCS) and that a meeting with the FCCC is expected next week to discuss the fare request and the fuel rebate application. The association hopes the meeting will produce relief before the full impact of the April fuel surge is felt across households and the transport sector.
A taxi fare revision would mark the end of a long period without formal adjustments — operators say the last official change to taxi rates occurred 16 years ago in 2010. In that time, fuel, goods and services have climbed steadily, eroding margins for small operators and drivers who typically bear the brunt of rising fuel bills.
Mr Faiyaz urged the FCCC to balance affordability for the public with the need for fares to reflect real running costs, warning that without intervention some drivers may be forced to cut hours or reduce service availability. The FTA’s submission seeks mechanisms that could include a structured fare increase and a temporary rebate or subsidy on fuel to ease the transition while the regulator evaluates the operators’ financial evidence.
The coming week is likely to be decisive: officials from the FTA will meet FCCC representatives to present their case, and they are awaiting a government response to the rebate submission. How the regulator and government respond will determine whether fares rise, a subsidy is introduced, or alternative measures are taken to shield both drivers and passengers from the sudden spike in energy costs.
Leave a comment