Starting Sunday, September 1, there will be an increase in student bus fares; however, students using blue and yellow bus cards will not be affected by this change.
Joel Abraham, the CEO of the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), stated that the adjustment in student fares is meant to align them with adult fares. He assured that the Government will fully subsidize these increases.
“To ensure that families are not burdened by the new fare structure, we assessed the situation and ensured that any changes will have no financial impact on students and parents. The Government’s subsidy covers any additional costs for students, including weekends and school holidays, while the adult fare remains unchanged,” he said.
Details of the fare adjustments are as follows:
For Blue Card users, the Government will cover 100% of any additional student fare.
For Yellow Card users, students will continue to pay the current fare, with the remainder fully subsidized by the Government, applicable at all times, including weekends and school holidays.
This fare revision comes after a thorough review by the FCCC, which implemented a per-seat fare allocation model. The review was carried out in collaboration with bus industry operators to ensure fair compensation based on a full cost recovery model.
Mr. Abraham emphasized that this initiative aims to support the bus industry while keeping fares affordable for consumers. He also highlighted the importance of bus operators maintaining high service quality with the new fare structure.
“We will closely monitor the services provided by bus operators to ensure they meet standards and offer value to passengers in alignment with the fare adjustments.”