By Seleoe Nonyane
Some public servants who are also users of the public transport are complaining about the fare increase set to come into effect today, reiterating their demand for a 25 percent salary increase.
This after, the Road Transport Board chairman, Limema Phoohlo, announced last month that the public transport fare comes amidst high inflation and the recent spiraling in global fuel prices.
“The transport hike will increase in a month from now, which is on June 24 2022. This is so that we offer transport operators a grace period in order for them to prepare for the new transport fares.
“The transport fare will increase by 30 percent for local routes and 21.1 percent for long distance routes. Prior to this increment, the board conducted a research through the experts in the ministry to determine the feasibility of the increase,” he stated.
For a 4+1 cab the fare will be M12, for mini bus taxis locally the fare is M11 and a 42 seater mini-bus will charge M8, while buses will now charge M7,” he revealed.
In corroboration with the Road Transport Board, the ministry of transport released a press statement on Tuesday this week confirming the introduction of new fares from today.
As commuters battle for survival because some basic food commodity prices have soared, they see the transport increment as another burden on their pockets, saying it is surely to make travelling in public transport difficult.
Some commuters still feel they are far from being ready to accept the new travel fees despite being given a grace period for readying themselves for the hikes.
It was initially suggested that the new fares be effective from June 1 this year but was adjourned to today.
Meanwhile, some users say they are not ready for this hike but it is now too late as this is beyond their control and all is needed is to endure the financial burden.
One regular commuter, Tṧepang Selialia of Ha Foso, Berea who is a nurse at one of the clinics in Maseru said: “I am not prepared at all for this new transport fares. Transport fares are already costing me a lot as I usually run out of money to use public transport. I am sometimes forced to borrow money from members of my family and colleagues.
“The timing is also bad because everything else is going up. Maybe they could have waited for things to cool down first and life going back to normal and then increase the fares.
“But, what could work even better is if our salaries would be increased also. This is the only answer to this issue and no one will be left behind,” Selialia said.
She contested that the public servants were not at all consulted when the decision was made as they are some of those who commute to and from work regularly.
In the recent past, the public servants – including the police and the teachers’ union members – demanded salary an increase of 30 percent. But the government could only offer a meagre five percent, prompting a backlash from the servants who are demanding the remainder.
The secretary general of the public servants’ association Motebang Leboela cried out that the fare hike is not fair to them and vowed to fight for a monthly pay hike of 20 percent.
But Lesotho Police Officers Staff Association secretary general, ‘Makatleho Mphetho, said that they are happy that the public transport operators will get what they demanded due to soaring fuel prices. But she regretted their members and other public servants will find it hard to cope with the new arrangement.
“The increase in transport fares is not too much, compared to what we had anticipated. But for us, the government did not consider our plight as we have demanded a monthly pay hike. We have only been allocated a mere five percent increase. It will all be spent on taxi fare,
“We are quite perturbed by this increase and wish the government would consider our plea and give us the 20 percent salary we have demanded,” she concluded
