Complaints on high PMV charges unreasonable
Letter to the editor
I FIND it interesting to see article regarding PMV operators overcharging fares as reported in the Media.
I am a transport operator here in Port Moresby and have had the privilege of travelling to Australia, and noted a few things.
Firstly, if you were to catch a public bus in Brisbane or Sydney for the equivalent distance from Gerehu to downtown Port Moresby, your fare would be approximately AUD6.80 (government subsidised), which equals to K19 in PNG.
The idea that public bus operators are to charge a lousy 80 toea (USD0.28) is laughable and only proves that the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) and other government agencies have no idea how the business operates.
Secondly, all our consumable repairs and spare parts (whilst purchased here in PNG with the Kina) are in fact based on the Australian and US dollars.
There are no parts manufactured here in PNG.
So, it does not take anyone too smart to understand as our revenue is collected in PNG and our expenses are in fact in Australia or US dollars.
How on earth do these people in the ICCC and other agencies have any idea how we are supposed to be profitable and how our business remains sustainable?
The reality is we cannot and it is not sustainable.
Whilst we cannot expect to have an international standard of public transport system here in PNG, the stories and complaints coming from government agencies and the public is laughable.
The fact is, on a good day, when the public do not cut up or burn your seats, vomit or leave their filthy rubbish on your bus, the fare from Gerehu to Port Moresby should be no less than K6 one way.
Wake up, government; you wonder why nobody wants to invest in public transport infrastructure.
The government needs to stop interfering and politicking in the private sector and allow business and transport operators to self-regulate.
Tony Waliya
Corp Trans, NCD
I am a transport operator here in Port Moresby and have had the privilege of travelling to Australia, and noted a few things.
Firstly, if you were to catch a public bus in Brisbane or Sydney for the equivalent distance from Gerehu to downtown Port Moresby, your fare would be approximately AUD6.80 (government subsidised), which equals to K19 in PNG.
The idea that public bus operators are to charge a lousy 80 toea (USD0.28) is laughable and only proves that the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) and other government agencies have no idea how the business operates.
Secondly, all our consumable repairs and spare parts (whilst purchased here in PNG with the Kina) are in fact based on the Australian and US dollars.
There are no parts manufactured here in PNG.
So, it does not take anyone too smart to understand as our revenue is collected in PNG and our expenses are in fact in Australia or US dollars.
How on earth do these people in the ICCC and other agencies have any idea how we are supposed to be profitable and how our business remains sustainable?
The reality is we cannot and it is not sustainable.
Whilst we cannot expect to have an international standard of public transport system here in PNG, the stories and complaints coming from government agencies and the public is laughable.
The fact is, on a good day, when the public do not cut up or burn your seats, vomit or leave their filthy rubbish on your bus, the fare from Gerehu to Port Moresby should be no less than K6 one way.
Wake up, government; you wonder why nobody wants to invest in public transport infrastructure.
The government needs to stop interfering and politicking in the private sector and allow business and transport operators to self-regulate.
Tony Waliya
Corp Trans, NCD
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