Bus fare hike for Durban commuters

Ethekwini Municipality said on Thursday, 14 June that its executive committee (exco) had approved the hike to ensure a reliable municipal bus service continues to be provided to the city’s 50,000 daily Durban Transport bus commuters.

However, vulnerable groups such as scholars, pensioners and people with disabilities, will still enjoy the existing fare concessions to ensure fares remain affordable.

Exco tabled a report at a meeting on 29 May which outlined how the fare increase was reached.

The tabled report stated that the contract with the operator makes provision for an annual increase of fares to enable the service level to be maintained. An independent economic assessment is done annually to inform the recommended fare increase based on economic indicators.
The exco tabled another report which provided an update about the municipal entity being formed to run the city’s bus service.

The report said progress has been made towards the implementation of a council resolution dated 13 August 2015 for the establishment of a municipal entity. Some of the terms of the formation of the entity stipulate that no staff or assets from the municipality would be transferred to the entity among others.

City manager Sipho Nzuza has been granted the authority to establish the Durban Transport municipal entity, to transfer the service to the municipal entity and to provide regular reports on the progress thereof to council.

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