KOTA KINABALU: Commuters in the State can lodge complaints with Sabah Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) or Road Transport Department on unscrupulous increase in minibus fare.
Sabah CVLB chairman Dato’ Chin Kim Hiung on Wednesday said when responding to media reports on public grouses on the fare hike .
Describing it as unfair to commuters, Chin said the Government has already allowed buses and mini buses to carry its maximum capacity, so there is no reason for them to hike the fare.
“The Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which minibus operators must continue complying with is to provide hand sanitizers for passengers and also they (passengers) must wear face masks,” Chin said.
Chin urged commuters who have been charged with unreasonably high bus fare to lodge complaints with the nearest CVLB office or the Road Transport Department.
The issue first surfaced in May when bus and minibus operators doubled their fares to avoid losses due to the need to keep many seats vacant to ensure passengers practise social distancing in compliance with SOP that limit the number of passengers to half the vehicles’ capacity.
However, since the limit on the number of passengers each vehicle could ferry had been lifted by the Government, minibus operators should revert to the old fare. – pr/BNN
