PMV operators warned over fees

The National National

Any public motor vehicle (PMV) operator in East New Britain found to be charging passengers above Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC)-approved fares will be at risk of prosecution, according to the ICCC.
The ICCC office in Kokopo issued the warning after complaints from passengers about fares for the Rabaul-Kokopo route.
Following the recent heavy downfalls, most Rabaul-Kokopo PMV operators have been using the Burma Road to Kokopo stretch, instead of the main route.
The fixed approved rate for Kokopo to Rabaul or vice-versa is K3.90, however, most Rabaul to Kokopo operators are charging K5-K6 per passenger.
According to the ICCC, overcharging was an offence under the Prices Regulation Act.
The fixed approved rates for 2019 are:

  • Rabaul –Kokopo K3.90;
  • Warangoi –Kokopo K3.70;
  • Kerevat –Kokopo K5.10; and,
  • Within Kokopo town area 90t.

These fares are current approved fares set by ICCC.
All PMV operators in East New Britain have been urged to charge these fares and refrain from overcharging.
Rose Robin, from Togoro in the Bitapaka local level government in Kokopo, told The National that she spent almost K16 for PMV fares each day from Kokopo to Rabaul and back.
Robin said the PMV fare from her Togoro village to Kokopo was K3, and from Kokopo to Rabaul was either K4 or K5.
A PMV bus owner for the Rabaul-Kokopo route, Lucy Warmanai, said most PMV operators were overcharging passengers because of the current bad road conditions.
Warmanai said due to the bad road conditions, vehicles needed repair, which cost money.
She said the continues rain and bad weather in the province had affected many of the roads in the province and the roads are in bad condition.
She appealed to the East New Britain government and administration to look into this matter and fix all roads in the province that were in bad conditions.