Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
FARES UP * USA - Mayor's plan raises bus fares by 25 cents
The City deals with budget deficits: High fuel costs and employee pay raises are putting pressure on the city to raise bus fares for the first time in six years
Honolulu,Hawai,USA -The Honolulu Advertiser, by Sean Hao -March 10, 2009: -- The city is considering a series of fare hikes for the popular TheBus transit system, starting with a 25 cent, or 12.5 percent, adult fare hike to $2.25 this year... If approved by the City Council, that increase is likely to be followed by more fare hikes. The plan to increase fees is driven in part by city budget deficits and rising costs at TheBus... The heavily subsidized public transit system lost $151 million in the 12 months that ended June 30 2008, according to a recently released audit. That's up nearly $12.5 million from the prior year's losses... The mounting loses are attributed mainly to increases in the cost of fuel. However, in the future TheBus also will be grappling with higher wages. Last summer O'ahu bus drivers, mechanics and other support staff approved a contract giving them a 21 percent pay raise over the next five years... The city is spending $127 million to subsidize TheBus this year... (Photo: Bus riders may face a series of fare hikes)Labels: fares increases
Black Boxes on Buses * Vietnam - Breath tests to improve traffic safety
Buses will have to install a black box to navigate their journeys as well as aid safer driving
Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam -Look at Vietnam, by Kap Thanh Long -February 21, 2009: -- ...According to the amended Law on Road Traffic to take effect July 1... The black box is a device to support the driver rather than just recording errors to apply penalties, said Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy chief of the ministry's Road Administration... As well as a navigational tool, the black box would also assess the safety of the vehicle, the number of passengers and warn the driver if he is speeding, he said... He said it would also help the transport enterprises to better manage their business, adding there would soon be a decree to clarify the boxes' function and criteria... There are around 1,000 transport enterprises nationwide of different sizes, he said... The amended Law on Road Traffic also set a zero alcohol blood limit for drivers of automobiles, tractors and specialized land vehicles, while tightening the drink driving limit for motorbike riders... This means car drivers are not allowed to drink a single glass of beer or wine before driving, Nguyen Son of the Road Administration said... (Photo: Police take an alcohol breath test of a motorbike rider in Ho Chi Minh City) * Students, poor residents fear bus fee increase
Ho Chi Min City,Vietnam -Look at Vietnam –February 23, 2009: -- A proposal by the HCM City Department of Transport to increase bus fares is causing a stir among many poor students and residents... At the end of last year, the department submitted a plan to the municipal People’s Committee to increase local bus charges. If the proposal is approved, ticket prices would increase by VND1,000 from March 1st... The price of a ticket for routes under 31km would then be VND4,000. Moreover, monthly vouchers would be replaced with books of 60 tickets, costing VND120,000 (US$7), and VND85,000 ($5) for students... (Photo: Commuters from Nguyen Van Cu Street in Long Bien District take the bus from Ha Noi to neighbouring Hung Yen Province)Labels: black boxes, fares increases
FARES * Malaysia - New Bus And Taxi Fares In April?
Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia -Bernama, by Syed Azwan Syed Ali -January 31, 2009: -- The long-standing issue on fares for public transport is expected to be resolved by April with a decision that will best suit both the operators and users... By now, the public should realise that the fare hikes, especially for buses and taxis, were inevitable, and the operators, on the other hand, should accept the fact that the increase would not be as high as what they were hoping for... With the increase in operational cost, especially the price of spare parts and workers' salaries, public transport operators do have strong grounds to demand for fare hikes, even though the price of fuel has dropped and is now stable at around US$50 per barrel... Basically, the Transport Ministry has agreed to increase the fare by 30 per cent, although most of the operators for express buses, stage buses, school buses and taxis have asked for an increase of between 60 and 100 per cent...Labels: fares increases
Petrol down * South Africa - But bus fares up
Cape Town,South Africa -The Independent Online, by Thandiwe Mthethwa -January 5, 2009: -- The proposed 19 percent decrease in the petrol price may be good news for motorists, but has not brought any cheer to public transport commuters as bus company Remant Alton has upped its fares by 10 percent... Remant Alton said the hike had nothing to do with the regulation of the petrol price, but was part of its planned annual price increase... "We took into consideration the impact the increase would have on commuters and that is why we opted for a 10 percent increase, instead of 18 percent"...
Labels: fares increases
Passengers Angered * UK - By price hike on the buses
Bolton,Manchester,UK -The Bolton News, by Steven Thompson -5 Jan 2008: -- Passengers have criticised operator First Bus after being hit with a 10 per cent rise in fares... Passengers last night criticised the price hike claiming it was not in line with recent reductions to the cost of fuel... Preva Crossley, of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee, said: “I was very shocked when I saw the new prices. I’m quite concerned that the increase in bus fares will affect passengers. It is a very big one-off price rise"... (Passengers angered by price hike on the buses)Labels: fares increases
Passenger Bus Ticket * Latvia - Prices to be raised even more in Latvia
Riga,Latvia -The Baltic Course, by Alla Petrova -6 Jan 2009: -- At the end of the year 2009, many passengers were unpleasantly surprised by the steep increase of prices for intercity bus tickets in Latvia, as well as with cancellations and delays in numerous bus routes... The Road Transport Administration (RTA) pledges that this week, the buses will resume running according to normal schedule... At the same time, the RTA warn that the ticket prices will surge even more in the first quarter of this year, the newspaper Latvijas Avize reports... Ticket prices will need to be raised more because of the increase of the applicable VAT rate (which is now set at 10%, compared with the 5% VAT last year), because of the higher excise tax on fuel, as well as due to the demand for passenger carriers to create a mandatory reserve fund...Labels: fares increases
FARE INCREASES * USA - In O.C. Lead Bus Riders To Pay More
Orange,.CAL,USA -CBS -Jan 4, 2009: -- The 25-cent hike, which raises the face to $1.50, is said to be the second increase in 18 years... According to Joel Zlotnik of the OCTA, the fare is still 82-cents below the $2.32 average bus fare in metropolitan areas... Since 2005, the OCTA has experienced a 185 percent increase in fuel costs despite recent drops in gas prices. According to Supervisor Chris Norby, chair of the OCTA Board of Trustees, there is an $18 million dollar shortfall in OCTA's operating budget this year... Commuters in Orange County can save an average of nearly $650 a month by using the bus system, according to an analysis from the American Public Transportation Association... Last year, OCTA buses carried more than 67 million passengers and served at 6,500 stops on 80 routes. It is considered the nation's 12th busiest transit system... (Photo by CBS - An increase to the regular fare to travel on Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) buses will go into effect Sunday) (SEE VIDEO) Labels: fares increases
* UK - Passengers face hike in fares on top of cuts to bus services
Bus passengers are facing another hike in fares next month as Lothian Buses seeks to tackle falling profits
Edinburgh,Scotland,UK -The Edinburgh Evening News, by CHRIS MARSHALL -4 December 2008: -- ... The council-owned firm has already announced cuts to several services in the Capital, as it attempts to balance the books amid high fuel costs and declining ticket revenues... The company said it will increase fares "across the board", rather than simply raising the cost of adult singles, as it did in April, when fares went up from £1 to £1.10... The increases are expected to come into force on January 18, the same day as a series of cuts are made to services... Drivers have speculated that the cost of a single ticket could be set to rise to £1.30, but the firm insists it is still working out what the increase will be... (Picture: TAKE A HIKE: Drivers have speculated that the cost of a single ticket could be set to rise to £1.30)Labels: fares increases
FUEL COSTS TROUBLES * USA - Another quarter to ride the bus this fall?
2nd proposed fare increase this year to cover fuel costs
Seattle,WASH,USA -Seattlepi, by GREGORY ROBERTS -July 3, 2008: -- Metro bus fares would rise an additional 25 cents this October in order to help cover rising fuel costs without cutting services, King County Executive Ron Sims said Thursday in announcing the proposed increase... If approved by the County Council, the fare increase would be the second this year: Metro increased adult fares 25 cents March 1 and raised fares for seniors, youths and disabled bus riders the same amount Tuesday. Those increases, the first for the bus system in seven years, were designed to address inflation in operating expenses over that time, including rising fuel prices, Metro general manager Kevin Desmond said...Labels: fares increases
Honolulu,Hawai,USA -The Honolulu Advertiser, by Sean Hao -March 10, 2009: -- The city is considering a series of fare hikes for the popular TheBus transit system, starting with a 25 cent, or 12.5 percent, adult fare hike to $2.25 this year... If approved by the City Council, that increase is likely to be followed by more fare hikes. The plan to increase fees is driven in part by city budget deficits and rising costs at TheBus... The heavily subsidized public transit system lost $151 million in the 12 months that ended June 30 2008, according to a recently released audit. That's up nearly $12.5 million from the prior year's losses... The mounting loses are attributed mainly to increases in the cost of fuel. However, in the future TheBus also will be grappling with higher wages. Last summer O'ahu bus drivers, mechanics and other support staff approved a contract giving them a 21 percent pay raise over the next five years... The city is spending $127 million to subsidize TheBus this year... (Photo: Bus riders may face a series of fare hikes)
