No Bus Fare Hikes – Minister Ndlaluhlaza

MINISTER of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe has assured the public that there will be no bus fare hikes any time soon.

In a press statement released yesterday, the minister clarified reports regarding alleged bus fare increases and user fees, after consumers expressed concern that they could not afford another hike.

There were allegations that public transport operators wanted bus fares increased after user fees were raised by 200 per cent, while consumers stated that they were already struggling following a series of hikes.

The minister notified the public that there had been no official engagements, negotiations or consultations between government and recognised transport industry representative bodies on any proposed increase in bus fares.

He said there was also no approved or sanctioned bus fare increase at this time.

“Firstly, it is important to state clearly that any adjustment to public transport fares in the Kingdom of Eswatini is the result of formal, structured and officially sanctioned engagements between government and established representative bodies within the road transport industry, in this instance the Road Transport Council, which is a representative body of all road transport associations in Eswatini, established in terms of the Road Transportation Act,” he said.

The minister further stated that while ensuring access to road transport services, government was also fully cognisant of the operational costs of providing these services by road transport operators.

He said this was the reason why any fare adjustments were considered subject to extensive stakeholder consultation — a process that is eventually cleared by Parliament to ensure balanced and fair adjudication of the matter.

Ndwandwe emphasised that bus fare increases were not unilateral decisions by road transport operators, nor were they automatically linked to adjustments in user fees or other regulatory charges. Any proposal to review fares, he said, must follow established procedures.

He said the same principle was adopted with the increment in user fees. According to the minister, this process was driven by the ministry of finance, working with respective service-provider ministries, and extensive consultations were conducted.

He said should negotiations or consultations on fare adjustments be initiated in future, the public would be duly informed through official government communication channels.

Ndwandwe urged road transport industry players to desist from announcing unofficial information which, in this case, caused distress to citizens grappling with many daily challenges.

He added that government remained committed to ensuring access to road transport services by all citizens, and that fare increases were kept at affordable levels after proper and formal consultations.

The minister said the ministry was committed to ensuring that public transport in the country is safe, reliable, affordable and accessible.

He said government would continue working closely with regulatory bodies and other stakeholders to strengthen the sector while safeguarding the interests of commuters.