Few more suggestions to ease up city traffic

I SUPPORT City Resident’s views in The National yesterday and wish to add the following suggestions:
1. In order to address the current problem of very heavy peak rush hours followed by empty PMVs parked idly for hours off peak waiting for the next rush hour, we should encourage passengers to spread their travel throughout the day. Not everyone needs to travel at peak rush hour.
The incentive would be to have two separate bus fares, higher during rush hour and lower off peak (9am to 3pm). That way those who really have to travel during rush hour like employees and students will have space on the early buses and those who simply go spinning can save money by waiting till after 9am.
The PMV operators will not lose money because the rush hour and off peak fares will balance out, eg a K1 fare will become K1.20 at rush hour and 80 toea off peak. Many countries do this successfully.
2. To save time, fuel and, therefore, money, the PMV operators must introduce some express services.
Currently, the buses are spending more time stopping at each bus stop, waiting and loading and offloading passengers, than they spend actually moving on the road.
An express service is a non-stop service from point A to point X, without stopping at Point B, point C, point D etc.
For example, a number 9 bus at Gerehu could announce it is driving straight to Tabari Place/Boroko without stopping in between so people wanting to alight at Waigani should not board but should wait for the regular (non-express) bus which would make all those stops.
PMV operators can decide how many of their buses will be express services between the major bus stops only and how many of their buses will continue stopping at every bus stop.

Observer, Via email