Africa-Press – Lesotho. Taxi operators want a 10 percent hike in fares starting November 1. At present, commuters are paying M12 for a trip within a 10 kilometre radius. A 10 percent hike could take the new fares to M13.20 for a 4+1 taxi and M12.10 for a minibus for those operating within a 10km radius.
The chairman of the Maseru Region Transport Operators (MRTO), Mokete Jonase, told thepost that labour costs and vehicle parts are rising annually, putting a strain on taxi owners.
“To stay afloat in the taxi industry, we saw it fit for taxi fares to also increase annually,” Jonase said.
“The running costs of our business like petrol and diesel keep on increasing,” he said. Jonase maintained that the new prices will be effective on November 1.
The Deputy Secretary General of the National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union (NACTWU), Tšepang Makakole, said workers are going to be severely impacted by the new fares.
“It is unfortunate that there will be a hike in taxi fares amid the anaemic economy,” Makakole said.
He said the factory workers are already struggling to pay their way to work for the whole month. The new proposed taxi fares will be catastrophic for the factory workers, he said.
Makakole said workers were only awarded a six percent salary increase this year. “It is a big problem for the workers if taxi fares are going to be increased again by 10 percent,” Makakole said.
’Mathato Lebakeng, a factory worker from Ha-Foso, said: “I have two children that I have to take through school. We are no longer allowed to work overtime and this makes matters worse,” Lebakeng said.
Lebakeng said an increase in taxi fares will hit her hard because she is already earning little at the factories. “I wish the taxi association could have looked at this matter thoroughly, especially for workers that use transport daily,” she said. The Ministry of Transport spokesperson Ntumelleng Ntšekhe said they are not aware of the proposed hikes in taxi fare.
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