By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, June 1, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
THE Independent Consumer and Competition Commission
(ICCC) have re-issued a draft report on the review of fares charged by both
PMVs and taxies in the country.
It has been re-issued following the minimal response
by taxi and PMV operators in response to the interim report, before a final
report can be produced.
Acting CEO of ICCC, Elastus Geroro, said the review of
the public motor vehicle fee structure is done every 5 years to look at both
the needs of the operators and that of the consumers of the service provided.
“We have looked at the issues where on one hand the
operators are asking for an increase, where on the other hand consumers have
complained of the standard of services have been very low,” Mr Geroro said.
“We have asked the public to comment on the ways to
improve the standard and service provided.”
“As a significant number of operators are not meeting
the minimum standards, an increasing number of taxies have been operating
without taxi metres as well, and the issue of overcharging.”
He said that after all comments have been mode by
individuals, the public and private sector- a final report will be done and
released with the necessary changes.
Geroro added that comments by the public at large will
be allowed for a month, and that the recommendations and changes will be
accorded to both rural and urban fares.
The commission has noted that most operators were
deliberately ignoring standards and part of the failure could be placed on the
motor traffic regulators for not enforcing the standards.
It also suggests in the report that an industry
specific regulator be created for the PMV industry since most of the regulators
have proven to be ineffective.
Issues highlighted in the report include the meeting
of minimum safety standards provided in the Motor Traffic Act; operating
illegally without proper registration and insurance; lack of meters for many
taxies; and the overcharging of customers.
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