Opposition blasts 'unusual' implementation of public transport fare increase

Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, says the Government is resorting to “gimmicks” in the way it is implementing public transport fare increases, arguing that the approach is "unusual" and exposes “absence of a transport policy”. 

He was reacting to Transport Minister Daryl Vaz’s announcement Tuesday of the phased implementation of a 16 per cent hike in fares for public passenger vehicle (PPV) operators, following Cabinet's approval. The first eight per cent took effect today, with the remaining eight per cent to be applied in July. 

Phillips described the move as “highly unusual” and “extremely disrespectful” to commuters who depend on public transport daily.

“How does the Government implement a new fare without notice to public passengers?” the Opposition spokesman questioned in a statement. He also questioned the timing of notification to the Transport Authority and publication of a revised fare table.

“Without a transport policy the government was writing the script as it went along resulting in commuters, including children being asked to pay one fare to go to work and school and a higher fare to return home,” Phillips statement said. 

The Opposition spokesman referenced proposals he made during his recent sectoral presentation, in which he suggested that responsibility for fare setting be assigned to the Office of Utilities Regulation. He said he intends to seek legal advice on what he described as an unusual implementation strategy by the Government.

Phillips also raised concerns about the mechanics of the current increase, arguing that without a published fare table, it appeared the Government was leaving individual operators to calculate the 16 per cent adjustment across both phases on their own. He said the Government must clearly state the new approved fares to be charged to avoid further confusion and exploitation.

He further described the two-step increase as “pure gimmickery,” adding that staggered or “crawling” fare adjustments only deepen hardship for commuters while failing to provide clarity or stability for operators.

Phillips is also questioning whether the Government conducted a proper impact assessment on the increase, particularly its effect on travel costs in both the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) and rural Jamaica.

He said such an assessment should have been central to any decision affecting transportation costs, given the direct impact on the cost of living.

Phillips maintains that the approach signals poor planning and urges the Government to immediately publish a clear fare structure and provide full transparency on the implementation process.

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