Starting Sunday, September 1, there will be an increase in student bus fares. However, those using the 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 student fares have been adjusted to match adult fares, but the government will fully subsidize this increase.
To prevent financial strain on families, the assessment indicated that the changes would have no financial impact on students and their parents. The government’s subsidy will cover any additional expenses for students regardless of whether it is a weekday, weekend, or school holiday, while adult fares will remain the same.
Fare specifics include:
– For Blue Card users, the government will subsidize 100% of the additional student fare.
– Yellow Card users will continue to pay the current fare, with the remainder compensated by the government at all times.
This fare revision follows a thorough review by the FCCC, which has moved to a per-seat fare allocation model. The FCCC collaborated closely with bus operators to ensure fair compensation via a complete cost allocation recovery model.
Mr. Abraham highlighted that this initiative aims to support the industry while keeping costs manageable for consumers. He also stressed the importance of bus operators maintaining and improving service quality with the new fare structure.
The FCCC will monitor bus services to ensure that they meet quality standards and deliver value to passengers in line with the fare changes.