Deputy Adil Ameer Meea interested in free transport system

He will also ask the Minister Anil Bachoo if the government intends to reform the system currently in force. To recap, the audit director Rajen Jugurnath in its latest report released July 13, 2010, was highly critical of the funding in place by the government in 2005. He then recommended a complete overhaul of a system deemed ineffective.

The state spending under the program of free transportation have grown steadily since its introduction in August 2005. They rose from Rs 456 million for the first year to Rs 770 million in 2008-2009. The bus operators have divided the sum of Rs 2.5 billion between August 2005 and June 2009 in terms of payments received from the state for free transportation to elderly and schoolchildren.

The Director of Audit had concluded that the current payment method (which involves paying a fixed amount for each bus operators it is on the road or not), is causing problems faced daily users. Mr. Jugurnath had cited, among others, the refusal to board buses and late recipients of regular students to reach their respective schools. He had also reported the denial of bus drivers, in some cases, to be closer to schools, forcing students to complete the journey on foot.

The Director of Audit had, therefore, proposed that the money disbursed by the State accrue directly to beneficiaries.Rajen Jugurnath had recommended amendments to the Road Traffic Regulations 1999 which, together, determine a fixed fee for students on the one hand and the elderly and disabled, on the other.

According to the recommendations of the report of the Audit, it is from these new rates and student attendance in their schools should be calculated as the amount to be paid. The resulting figure would then be credited periodically to the bank account of the guardian of the child.

In the case of elderly or disabled, the Director of Audit had proposed that they be allocated a fixed amount, based also on the special rate will be, first, determined by the competent authorities. It was proposed in this case, that payment be made by the same method used for pensions and other social assistance, managed by the Department of Social Security.

For his part, Prime Minister has already announced that the government planned to review the system of free transportation regulations. He spoke out for greater efficiency of this measure, which affect hundreds of thousands of Mauritians. Remains whether it has already started the necessary procedures for this much needed reform and will follow it to the letter the recommendations of the Director of Audit.

Pending complaints from beneficiaries continue to flow.