Lae’s Route 4 PMV Association is calling on law enforcers to control the illegal rise in bus fare.
Executives of the association have reported that passengers are being charged K3 to commute between Bumayong and Lae city.
Morobe’s PMV route 4 covers Finschhafen, Bukawa, Nabak, Bumayong and PTC.
Route 4 PMV Association chairman, Kopen Vaibang, explained that prior to the December 22nd notice of PMV and taxi fares, issued by the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission, it used to cost Lae residents 70 toea to commute within the city.
“But because of inflation and fuel increase, ICCC said ok, ol edim 30 toea na go antap K1,” said Vaibang.
“So that means that olgeta stops insait lo Lae city bai baim K1. Whether yu stap lo Eriku na kam lo Town, baim K1, lo Town na go daun Main Market, bai yu baim K1, including Telikom, PTC na Bumayong tu em stap insait lo vicinity blo Lae. (That means it costs K1 for every stop within Lae City. Whether at Eriku coming to Town, you’ll pay K1, from Town down to the Main Market, that’s K1, including Telikom, PTC and Bumayong.)
“Bumayong na PTC, em ol pat blo Lae district.” (Bumayong and PTC come under Lae district.)
Vaibang said prior to the December 22nd notice, an agreement was reached between route 4 commuters and PMVs that they will pay K2 as it was quite a distance between Lae’s suburbs and the outskirts of the district.
After the K1 bus fare notice was published on December 22nd, PMVs started charging commuters an additional K1.
“Telikom PTC, yu bai baim K3, Bumayong yu ba baim K3; which em go longwe olgeta lo lo. Anything that goes against the law is a crime. (You will now pay K3 from Telikom PTC and Bumayong, which is a far cry from what has been legislated.)
“Olsem na, ol draiva, bos kru o papa blo kar sapos ol stat lo imposim K3, mipla ken kisim ol go lo kot. (That’s why the crew and owner of PMVs can be taken to court if they start imposing K3.)
“Yu stilim mani we gavman ino tok orait lo yu kisim; yu kisim wanpla extra K1, em yu stilim disla K1.” (Taking an extra K1 is stealing.)
Vaibang outlined that those living on the fringes of Lae city are mostly middle to low income earners.
He is urging Morobe’s transport board and the Royal PNG Constabulary’s traffic unit to monitor and enforce the ICCC-approved fares as K3 is too costly for the average Papua New Guinean to commute on a daily basis.