THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has urged bus and taxi owners not to effect new bus fares until they are approved. The Bus and Taxi Owners Association (BTOAZ) has proposed a K3 increment for local routes because of increased fuel prices. RTSA head of public relations Fredrick Mubanga has also urged public service vehicle passengers to report any bus operator charging inflated fares without approval from RTSA.

“The desired increase in bus fares will be effected after approval by all concerned stakeholders, including the Ministry of Transport and Communications,” he said. Mr Mubanga said in a statement yesterday that the agency held a meeting with bus operators to discuss the upward adjustment of fares following the increase in the fuel pump price.

He said bus operators, through BTOAZ, have requested for authority to increase fares. BTOAZ national secretary Sydney Chewe said the decision by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) to increase fuel prices has left the association with no option but to increase fares to sustain their businesses. “Increasing transport fares is inevitable looking at the current fuel price,” he said. Mr Chewe said for long distance routes, the association has proposed to increase bus fares by K20 and K65.

And Flash Buses proprietor Ishmael Kankara said he will also effect an increment on bus fares. Mr Kankara said in an interview yesterday the amount to which the fares will be increased has not yet been reached. “We will be holding a meeting with stakeholders this afternoon to agree on the amount to which the fares should be increased.

“Everything has gone up and we just have to increase fares, we have to keep our business afloat,” he said. He said the company will consider Zambians when a decision to increase bus fares is reached. However, commuters spoken to said increasing bus fares will hurt them because money has become difficult to come by. “We are literally being squeezed because everything is now expensive, we will be living hand to mouth without leaving anything to save,” Trevor Kalombo said.

Another commuter, Rex Mbeya, urged the bus and taxi owners to reconsider their decision to increase bus fares. “Going forward, we will just be walking like we used to do in the past when there were no buses,” he said. When contacted, Minister of Communications and Transport Mutotwe Kafwaya said he was out of town and would comment when he returned.

ERB has adjusted the fuel pump prices upwards with petrol now selling at K17.62 from K15.98, while diesel is at K15.59 from K14.23. Kerosene is K15.39 from K13.02. The increase was effected last week on Friday at midnight. The increase was attributed to the poor performance of the local currency.