‘REPORT CONDUCTORS WHO DON’T GIVE 30 CENTS CHANGE’

MBABANE – Frustrated ‘local distance’ commuters have been advised to request for tickets and take them to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport if they don’t receive their E0.30 change from bus conductors.

Controversy still surrounds commuters and bus conductors in local distances a week after the implementation of the new bus fare hikes.
Local distances encompasses any journey from zero to eight kilometres and commuters previously paid E6 before the Eswatini government gazette, tilted Maximum Bus and Taxi Fares Hike, increased the fare to E7.70.

The bone of contention between the commuters and conductors emanates from the minimum E0.30 change when the former pay E8 for the journey, which the conductors, in most instances, fail to give to the commuters with the excuse that they have run out of E0.10 or E0.20 that make up the change.

Confirmed

Speaking to one of the conductors at the Mbabane Bus Rank, he confirmed the ‘storm’ between them and the commuters on their change and stated that they tried to gather the 10 and 20 cents but quickly ran out of them, which then caused the arguments and hullabaloo. His suggestion was that commuters should also take it upon themselves to organise the change before they board a public transport vehicle to avoid the altercations.

“We are not wrong to charge the E7.70 because the gazette gave us a green light on that but the issue of the change needs for us and the commuters to have a joint responsibility because we quickly run out of the 10 and 20 cents. They need to also make it their responsibility to come with the actual bus fare to avoid the arguments over change,” he said.

Road Transportation Director in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Mduduzi Lukhele said public transport conductors had the responsibility to organise the change and he echoed the words of the Principal Secretary, Khangeziwe Mabuza, that if need be, transport operators should approach the Central Bank of Eswatini and ask for coins so that they could give change to commuters and avoid the overcharging, as it was against the law.

Lukhele said overcharged commuters should request a ticket and take it to the ministry so that those who were overcharging could be probed. He said the ticket would help them identify the public transport vehicle that the commuter boarded as it had its details.

He said it would not be unfair to generalise the matter as others were charging correctly.
“Commuters should not be shy to also go to the police to report if they are not given their change. One 30 cents is too many if it would be illegally and repeatedly taken away from you,” Lukhele said.

If the issue of the change persists, it means, on average, a commuter would lose slightly over E218 in a year if the commuter travels to and from town daily.
A day after the new bus fare hikes were implemented, it was reported that there was confusion on the actual fares commuters had to pay for the local distances. This was merely because some public transport conductors made commuters pay E8 while others were made to pay E7.50.

Valid

However, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mabuza, gave clarity on the issue last week, stating that the E7.70 fare in the gazette was valid and recognised by the ministry. However, she did acknowledge that commuters didn’t have to pay E8 because prices on the gazette are not rounded up but can only be rounded down, and they can never exceed the ones stipulated in the gazette.

“Public transport operators and their customers are at liberty to agree on a standard price that suits them and then implement it. They can reduce the fares to an amount that would be suitable for both parties but they cannot charge prices above those stipulated in the gazette. If what commuters are complaining about is anything to go by, then public transport operators were wrong to do so,” she said.

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