.MUKANGA

By SARAH MWANZA –

TRANSPORT, Works , Suppy and Communications, Minister Yamfwa Mukanga has rejected the 40 ngwee reduction in bus fares in Lusaka following the downward adjustment of fuel prices of more than K2 recently.
Bus operators in Lusaka recently announced that they would reduce the fares by 40 ngwee after the Mines,Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma announced the reduction in f fuel prices.
The pump price of petrol was adjusted downwards by over 23 per cent with petrol going down from K9.89 to K7.60 representing a reduction of K2.29.
diesel and kerosene is now selling at K6.59 and K4.69 from K9.18 and K6.77 representing a reduction of K2.59 and K2.08 respectively.
But in an interview, Mr Mukanga said he would engage with the bus operators because the reduction of 40 ngwee was too small when compared to the adjustment made to fuel prices.
He said bus operators needed to demonstrate that the reduction of 40 ngwee for local routes was in accordance with the market forces following the reduction of fuel.
Mr Mukanga said the bus operators should convince Government that the K2 reduction of fuel could trigger only a 40 ngwee reduction of bus fares.
“We have to sit down with operators and negotiate so that we see what could be the way forward on the reduction of bus fares,” he said.
A check by the Sunday Times during the week discovered that bus operators had not reduced bus fares with the agreed 40 ngwee despite the public pronouncements.
When asked   why they were still charging old fares, some drivers said they were waiting for the new fare charts for them to be sure as to how much they were supposed to charge.
According to Commuters Rights Association of Zambia (CRAZ) the 40 ngwee bus fare reduction was supposed to be effective Monday last week.