Public transport services need to be regulated, improved

 IT is a pity that we are still faced with the same dilemma of public bus owners charging at will and have not learnt our lesson. 

We should pause and ask what is causing them to charge more than  80  toea  and  what  do  we  –   the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) and Transport Department – do, as government arms? 

Do we have control over the fares and transport services? 

By  now, we  should  be thinking of how best to improve the transport services in the city, which will have a lot of impact on the economic and social settings in Port Moresby. 

Come on, ICCC and Transport Department. 

Conduct a research on this increase, identify the problem and  recommend the best solution. 

We deserve to live in a place where  public  transport  is  and  will not be a hindrance. 

Before conducting the research, I suggest we  have  registered companies operate public transport services and not individuals as controlling a company is easier than to control an individual. 

The advantages of having companies operating the public transport services are:

• There is a central place to initiate legal action on traffic fines or submit complaints;
• Notices can be easily sent to the  head  office  for  action  on  rates and traffic rules;
• Buses will complete their routes; and,

Liabilities are shared.

I  am pretty sure that this way, the public transport services will improve. 

We have lived with individual bus owners for too long and they have not improved, but only digressed the situation. 

It is high time for a change and the ICCC and the Transport Department  should wake up. 

A Sasi

Port Moresby