Set fixed PMV rate

THE Morobe land transport board should look into PMV fares and hire costs imposed by the Klinki PMV association in Bulolo and other neighbouring districts.
It costs K25 per passenger from Buang LLG to Lae and return trip is K50.
How on earth can an ordinary person pay K50 to travel to Lae and return just to buy a bush knife worth K12?
The former fare rate of K10 per passenger from Lae to Mumeng and K5 from Mumeng to Buang should remain.
According to the Buang people to this fare has increased from K15 to K29 and eventually back to K25 which any ordinary Buang person cannot afford.
On top of that, if you are small trade store owner transporting K5,000 worth of store cargoes, PMV owners charge you K500 as 10 per cent on carriage.
These small trade store owners have already paid 10 per cent GST tax on all purchased good.
They then have to pay PMV owners another 10 per cent which is really unfair.
The hire rate should be left open for negotiations between the small trade store owners and the PMV owners.
Due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance on roads in Bulolo and other districts, trade store owners are forced to pay groups of people to carry their store goods and walk distances to reach their destination especially in Buang LLG.
The Morobe PMV land transport association should investigate this to ensure PMV fares are on a fixed rate.

Samson C Napo,
Buang LLG