24 Nov 2021

Public transport operators’ ability to pay the new permit fees, the need to align fees with the market price as well as the inflation rate are said to have influenced the hiking of permit fees in September.

Fielding questions from MPs after presenting a statement to Parliament on the combi and taxi operators strike in Gaborone, transport and communications minister, Mr Thulagano Segokgo said the fees, which were at the centre of Tuesday’s strike, were effected after having subjected them to the usual review process.

Minister Segokgo said the permit fees were reviewed periodically, and that the recent review followed one that was done in 2017.

On whether the ministry had seen it proper to not have reviewed public transport fares alongside permit fees, he explained that the review of the two did not go hand-in-hand.

In his statement, the minister expressed disappointment that the strike action came at a time when the ministry was engaged in negotiations with operators regarding the September hiking of service fees.

He said while only a handful of operators had engaged in the strike, it had been established that members of the Gaborone Taxi and Combi Associations, with whom the ministry was in negotiations, were not part of the strike.

Gaborone Bonnington South MP, Mr Christian Greeff had asked the minister to state if taxi and combi operators were informed prior to the increase being effected and why public transport fares had not been raised together with permit fees.

MP Motsamai Motsamai of Ghanzi South asked the minister to state the criteria that the ministry used when reviewing the fees.

He also wanted to know whether the cost of living formed part of the parameters of the review.

A press release from the ministry stated that the engagements with local operators were ongoing to ensure business continuity as well as to address any emerging issues.  ENDS