Transport Authority slams PPV operators for hiking fares

Hours after Finance and the Public Service Minister Audley Shaw announced an increase in the special consumption tax (SCT) on petrol, some operators of public passenger vehicles (PPV) have increased their fares without approval from the Transport Authority.

Yesterday, the Transport Authority warned offending PPV operators to desist from charging increased fares as this practice is illegal.

The Transport Authority says that it has received reports that some operators have increased their fares in response to the Government's increase in the SCT.

The authority is reminding public transportation operators that any increase in the fares for PPV, must first be reviewed by the minister of transport and mining. The charging of unapproved fares is, therefore, a breach of Regulation 129 (d) of the Transport Authority Regulations (1987), which states: "A driver or conductor, when acting as such, shall not wilfully deceive or refuse to inform any passenger or intending passenger as to the destination or route of the vehicle or as to the fare for any journey." The authority is also warning operators that those found to be in breach of the law, may face prosecution.

In the meantime, the authority says commuters of PPV who have been affected by the increased fares are invited to call the Transport Authority's complaints line at 1-888-991-5687 and report the registration numbers of the vehicles, as well as the date and time they were overcharged.