The Ministry of Education has clarified that they have successfully loaded the funds of 61,644 subsidised e-Transport cards for students qualifying for assistance under the e-Transport Assistance Scheme while the Fiji Bus Operators Association says that they cannot guarantee whether individual operators will allow students to travel if they have issues with their subsidised cards.
In a statement, the Education Ministry confirms that as at Wednesday 25,161 of the 61,644 students’ subsidised cards have been redeemed.
The Ministry is urging beneficiaries who have not yet redeemed their transportation assistance to urgently do so.
Funds can be redeemed by students or parents directly on-board buses equipped with e-Transport machines, or at Vodafone Outlets, Valuefone, Mr. Mobile Outlets or District Education Offices.
The Education Ministry further says that if any parent and student is experiencing technical issues with a subsidised e-Transport card, they can contact Vodafone's customer service on 151.
Subsidised e-Transport cards that have been lost or damaged can be replaced at any Vodafone outlet.
The Fiji Bus Operators Association had earlier stated that passengers and students will not be able to travel in buses from today if they do not have funds in their e-transport card.
Association President, Nisar Ali Shah says this will also include school students who receive assistance from the Ministry of Education.
Shah claims thousands of students have not received their travel funds from the Ministry of Education and numerous operators have had to carry these students for free in the past three days.
He says one operator estimated his buses carried up to 2000 students free on Monday and Tuesday because funds had not yet been credited to students’ cards.
Following the Education Ministry’s statement, Shah says he hopes a solution is found as the cards would have funds if they were already topped up and activated by the government and Vodafone.
Shah says all cards should have been active from this Monday as they were locked for the school holidays.
He also says that the students e-Transport subsidised cards can only be used from 6.30am to 9.30am and then from 2.30pm to 5.30pm on school days.
This is also causing issues for students living in the interior areas as they have to catch the school buses from 5.30am to arrive at school on time.
Shah says the 6.30am time to use the cards will change soon to about 5.30am.
Shah says the parents and the heads of the schools through the government should ensure that the cards are activated.
He says he cannot give any assurance to people, as he stresses that the e-Transport subsidised cards need to have funds for the students to travel.
E-Ticketing system has failed in Fiji - Rabuka
Story by: Dhanjay Deo
Opposition Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka says Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama and Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should explain to the nation the delay in transferring funds for the Student Transport Subsidy Scheme to the Ministry of Education.
Rabuka says it is unacceptable that students are not able to attend school because the Ministry of Education could not top up cards in time before the start of the school.
Rabuka says the ongoing failure of the e-ticketing system touted as part of modernizing Fiji just shows the continuing incompetence of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet in forcing a system where cash is prohibited, and buses are not transporting students whose cards do not work.
He says no other country in the world has a purely electronic ticketing system. Rabuka says students cannot pay their fare in cash because bus drivers will be fined up to $500 for accepting cash payments.
Rabuka says the Minister for Transport and Land Transport Authority should urgently look into the situation as students are missing out on important school days.
He further adds that the bus operators should record their losses from transporting students whose cards have zero balance, and work out with the Ministry of Education a way to be compensated for these runs.
The Opposition Leader says the Government, Vodafone Fiji and Bus Operators should get their act together to solve the disaster.
Rabuka adds that he has noticed less people travelling in the buses and people are using taxis or minibuses to avoid the hassle and the bus industry is suffering as a result.
Furthermore, Rabuka says after carrying out meaningful public and stakeholder consultations, a SODELPA Government would provide for a dual system with a discount as incentives for the travelling public to make the switch to the e-card.
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