The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

GOVERNMENT will be offering relief packages to jitney drivers to offset the impact of increasing fuel costs, Housing and Transport Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis announced yesterday.

The sector has been calling for the government to approve a passenger fare increase in recent months due to high gasoline costs.

In March, Mrs Coleby-Davis told reporters Cabinet planned to make a decision on the matter in the summer.

When asked for an update on discussions yesterday, she said no decision had been made and added that until then, drivers will be given relief packages.

She said officials hope bus drivers will receive the relief packages before the end of this month.

However, she could not give a price tag for the initiative.

“We were discussing that for some time (and) for a few months now and because the task in that is to really have a balance in that approach - because we know generally the area of society that depends on the public bus transportation - and so where we are now is that Cabinet has agreed for a relief package to be presented by the Ministry of Finance,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“And so, I have just sent a last bit of documents that were requested from the financial secretary and the Minister of Finance, and they are reviewing and then they should be presenting me with the relief package which we could begin to provide now to get us through this period and we will consider discussions related to the increase in fares.”

The current jitney fare for adults in New Providence is $1.25.

However, the sector has proposed a 60 percent increase, which, if approved, will push the current price to $2.

Asked when the government plans to reconsider the fare increase, the minister said: “I am hoping to re-engage that discussion probably in another six months. The relief package, I hope would carry us through the period until I am able to get back to a place where I could present more options that they would be able to consider.”

Mrs Coleby-Davis was also asked for an update on the government’s efforts in helping to introduce a unified busing system.

“We’re actually on a good path to getting some clarity on how we will manage our bus transportation,” she said.

“My team at transport has been on a fact-finding trip. We went to Atlanta and we met with executives of MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) and we also went to New York and met with executives of MTA and both of them (have) quite very busy transportation systems and they provided a lot of information and guidance. So, we will be discussing more options at town halls, but preparing as well to present a scope to the Cabinet that they will consider for a unified, more controlled busing programme.”