Plea for bus fare hike

KUALA LUMPUR: Express bus operators are hopeful that their fares will be reviewed soon to address increasing operations and maintenance costs.
While urging the government to respond to their proposal to de-regulate fares, bus operators pledged to provide improved services.
Sri Maju Express chief operating officer Wendy Shin said bus fares are currently fixed by the government and reviews are conducted once every few years.
"The Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association sent its proposal in May 2013 to de-regulate express bus fares and allow market forces to determine fares.
She stressed that bus operators are facing increased operation costs due to higher wages, fuel costs, spare parts and other requirements by the authorities.
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason said the request by bus operators for an increase in fares is reasonable and fair and urged consumers to prioritise quality of services more than the price.
E-Mutiara administration and legal affairs director Naemah Yaacob said bus operators have put in efforts to improve their services.
"Although fuel prices play a major role, it is just one part of the whole operations. We have other costs to bear," she said, adding that approved fares are insufficient to cover losses suffered in previous years.
Sani Express Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Abu Bakar Mohammad said consumers would generally continue spending on basic necessities despite price hikes and and expressed hope that the same consideration would be accorded to the bus fare review.
He said the recent floods had caused bus operators to incur huge losses in assets as well as in refunds to customers for closed routes.