Transport: Bus Operators Reports Passengers Decrease

"The transportation industry is going through difficult times. With the crisis, the number of passengers dropped after the peak. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a 15% decline. This decline is increasing day by day, "decries Jeewoonarain Sunil, secretary of the Mauritius Bus Owners Cooperative Federation which has 700 members with a total of 800 buses. It also owns the company that covers Pearl Day line Quatre Bornes to different regions of the west of the island.

The figures are also eloquent. If the number of passengers who benefit from free transport remained stable, a bus carries the day between 200 and 300 passengers free operators recorded as 150 passenger bus in the day against 200 or 250 people before.

This situation is far from isolated. "There is virtually no movement in the day. People have reduced their travel and leave only obligation, transportation is expensive in Mauritius. On the other hand, since the introduction of free transportation, it is the elderly who are small family commissions allowing them to save money, "said for his part, Rajesh Seeburrun, secretary of the Moka / Flacq Bus Owners Cooperative Society.

40 fewer passengers per day

The crisis is, however, not the only offender. "We face unfair competition from illegal and vans with 15 seats and taxis 'brown'. These bite us passengers during peak hours, "protested Sunil Jeewoonarain. Rajesh Seeburrun deplores the same situation: "We lose forty passengers per day with nothing unfair competition. The irony is that many of our competitors is increasing illegal. "

This is not without consequence. Operators' revenues, says Rajesh Seeburrun, decreased from 25% to 30%. Sunil Jeewoonarain even recorded a loss of 50% of revenue on certain routes. "If an operator raking in profits of Rs 40,000 on a bus, they fell to Rs 20,000," he says as an example.

Ultimately, it is the traveling public may suffer. "All operators are discouraged. This may be felt on the service in the future. On the other hand, with our shortfalls, we can not invest in the renewal of our fleet of buses. And if the situation persists, it may be that some operators are forced to put the key under the mat by one or two years, "warns Sunil Jeewoonarain.

Ultimatum

To avoid this scenario, operators knocked on the door of ministry and even sent their pre-budget proposals to the Minister of Finance. "We must bring order in the transportation industry," recommends Sunil Jeewoonarain.

If the authorities do not move the small thumb, bus operators are considering making a demonstration followed by a "go-slow" so that "the authorities realize the impact of the unfair competition they face." "The solutions already exist and the law, but we do not understand why they are not enforced. We have even submitted to the authorities the license plate numbers of our competitors.

On the other hand, we do not understand why the Police Transport that could help regularize the situation has disappeared. If no solution is provided, we will not sign the 'Memorandum of Understanding' for the year 2013 - an agreement between the operators and the National Transport Authority on the free transport "threat, in turn, Sawkatali Choychoo bears Speaker of the Bus Owners Cooperative North.