Concerns raised on some buses not having E-ticketing disposable cards after 5pm

Concerns have been raised about some Island Buses and Nasese Bus Company Limited bus drivers not having E-ticketing disposable cards after 5pm.

A woman who travels from the Suva Bus Stand to Nakasi every afternoon after 5pm claims that the Island Bus she normally boards, does not have disposable cards.

When contacted by Fijivillage, Island Buses Limited Director Raj Pati Kewal has clarified that drivers are provided with disposable cards.

However, Kewal also highlighted that when a driver has run out of disposable cards it is their responsibility to alert the bus company in order to receive a new batch of disposable cards.

In another incident, a woman boarding a Nasese bus from FNU Samabula to Nausori at 8.30pm Tuesday did not have enough money in her E-ticketing card to travel all the way and opted to purchase the disposable card.

She claims that the Nasese bus driver did not have any disposable cards and was told that only the day drivers are issued the disposable cards.

Fijivillage contacted Nasese Bus Co Ltd asking whether night drivers are also issued disposable cards.

Nasese Bus Managing Director Jack Kumar has confirmed that the day drivers are issued a certain amount of cards for the day and if they have disposable cards remaining, they hand them over to the night drivers.

He adds that if the drivers know that they do not have enough disposable cards, they are to inform the bus company prior to their shift in order to have disposable cards ready for their passengers.

Kumar has also confirmed that the passenger can board the bus for free if disposable cards are not available.