The Independent Bus Fare Review Committee Chairperson and the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission CEO Joel Abraham is urging bus owners to reconsider their plans to go on strike as it will affect thousands of Fijians negatively especially considering we are now experiencing bad weather.

Abraham says he maintains his stance that the Fiji Bus Operators Association have to provide proper financial justification as to why they want a fare increase.

He says it is irresponsible of the bus owners to go on strike as they need to stop and think about the thousands of the students who need buses everyday, the thousands of workers that need bus to travel to work every day and the elderly and disabled people who have no other means of transport.

Abraham says the industry provides a critical public service hence an increase cannot be justified without a proper analysis and for a proper financial analysis to happen full financial information is needed adding the bus owners had earlier promised this information to the committee.

He adds that they have told the bus owners that they will consider their demands when they provide proper financial information but instead they are trying to bully their way into getting an increase by holding the people of Fiji ransom.

Abraham says he has always maintained that dialogue and proper analysis is the way forward.

He says no changes will be made to the bus fares that will affect thousands of Fijian families without proper justification.

We have sent questions to the President of Fiji Bus Operators Association, Richard Lal.