'No reason for express, school bus operators to raise fares'

Source: The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Express bus and school bus operators should not raise fares following the implementation of targeted diesel subsidies on the peninsula, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said this is because the diesel subsidy continues to be given to these bus operators through subsidised diesel fleet cards under the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS).

"They should not raise their bus fares. They are not affected by the increase in the diesel price because school bus and express bus operators are still receiving subsidies. So what reason do they have to raise the fares?" he told a press conference after launching the 57th Asean Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM) here yesterday, Bernama reported.

He said this in response to news about the possible increase in the fares of school, express and tour buses following the implementation of targeted diesel subsidies, which saw diesel prices increase by more than 50% on Monday.

Loke said for express buses, the fares cannot be increased arbitrarily because they are under the purview of the Land Public Transport Agency.

"As for school buses, we don't control the price; we just encourage discussions between school bus operators and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs)," he said.

On the possible increase in the fares for tour buses, Loke said there is no subsidy for the tourism sector as the buses are for tourism purposes and not for daily use.

Meanwhile, Loke said he is ready to give a special briefing to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the latter questioned the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project and claimed that not much was being revealed about the project despite "concrete pylons rising across the Strait of Johor".