Isaiah Morewagae
3 December 2008
The Department of Roads Transport and Safety has announced a reduction in public transport passenger fares starting on December 1.
The new prices state that a shared taxi will go down from P3.60 per person to P3.20. The 'special' fare will be P16.00 per trip from P18.00. Minibuses will charge each person P2.70 down from P3.00.
A long distance trip on a bitumen road will cost 17.33 thebe per kilometre from 18.58 and a long distance bus trip on a gravel or sandy road will be 19.30 thebe per kilometre from 20.55 thebe.
The new fares come five months after the public transport operators pleaded with the government to increase charges because the petrol prices were too high.
The public relations officer at DRTS, Amos Motshegwe said the government gazetted the new fares on November 28.
Motshegwe said the reduction in prices was brought about by the recent stability of oil prices on the international oil market.
He said even though some of the public transport operators did not agree with the new development, they believed that they also had to accommodate public interest.
"Public transport fares were influenced by the increase in oil prices, but now the prices have stabilised so we also have to adjust the fare to cater for the members of the public who use the public transport," Motshegwe said.
Motshegwe was worried that even though the new fares have come into effect, members of the public may still not be aware of them.
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