Starting Sunday, September 1, student bus fares will rise; however, students using the blue and yellow bus cards will remain unaffected.
Joel Abraham, CEO of the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), stated that the student fares have been adjusted to match adult fares, but the Government will fully subsidize the increase.
“Our evaluation confirmed that the changes will have no financial impact on students or their families. Therefore, with the Government’s subsidy in place, any extra cost for students will be fully covered, even on weekends and school holidays, while adult fares will remain unchanged,” he explained.
Fare specifics include:
– Blue Card: The Government will cover 100% of the additional student fare.
– Yellow Card: Students will continue to pay their current fare, with the remainder subsidized by the Government at all times, including weekends and school holidays.
This fare change is a result of a thorough review by the FCCC, which has shifted to a per-seat fare model.
The FCCC’s review involved close collaboration with bus operators to ensure they receive fair compensation through a comprehensive cost recovery model.
Abraham highlighted that these measures aim to support the sustainability of the bus industry while keeping services affordable for consumers. He stressed that bus operators need to uphold and improve service quality under the new fare system.
“We will monitor the services provided by bus operators closely to ensure they meet expected standards and deliver value to passengers in line with the fare adjustments.”