Commuters struggling as PMVs hike fares

By JAMES GUMUNO
COMMUTERS between Mt Hagen and other parts of Western Highlands and neighbouring provinces are digging deeper into their pockets to pay the recently increased PMV fares.
The bus fare from Mt Hagen city to Kagamuga has increased to K2 from K1, while the fare from Mt Hagen to Wurup in Jiwaka, which used to be K2, is now K3.
The Mt Hagen to Chimbu fare has increased by K5 from K10.
Similar fare increases apply to all other routes along the Highlands Highway out of Mt Hagen. The rise in fares is due largely to an increase in fuel prices, PMV operators say.
Peter Mek, a security guard from Wurup Village, who travels daily to Mt Hagen, is one of the many travellers who are concerned with the increase.
The father of three said that the increase in PMV fares and costs of basic food items like rice, tinned fish, cooking oil and other items was making life very difficult.
“I live in the village and come to work, but with the high cost of living, I find it very difficult to keep up,” he said.
Mek said that his K250-K300 fortnightly pay was not enough to cater for all the needs of his family and other community obligations like paying bride price, or helping
family members seeking medication.
Mary Kawage from Chimbu, a storekeeper with one of the major supermarkets in Mt Hagen, said it was very hard to save money.
Kawage, who lives with her unemployed husband and four grown-up children, said life in the city was getting harder and they were planning to return to home province.