The passengers are told that you cannot PAY CASH to the Bus Drivers for they [and Bus Checkers] are
'BLOODY THIEVES'
No wonder some passengers in Taveuni hid in luggage compartment of buses for a ride home because they did not have e-Transport cards and the "thieving bus drivers" are barred from taking cash from them
Fijileaks: During the consultation period, and before the final report was handed to the Fiji Land Trasport Authority, the bus drivers were not consulted nor were they given the right to defend the VILE charges levelled against them by their bus owning bosses: "Fraud by bus drivers and checkers is the single biggest financial loss being suffered by the industry today. We estimate that the loss to the industry, if all drivers are involved (see box) is worth around 9% of total revenue. More conservatively we calculate the losses to be of the order of FJD 2.7million to FJD 4.5 million per year" - The Final Report on Fiji Bus Industry Review
"Leakages due to pilferage of bus takings by bus drivers"
Fijileaks: We are not against E-Ticketing but what we have objected to is the lack of trial period which could have been introduced in particular routes before it was rolled out nationally, and that the passengers must have choice to pay with CASH or with travel cards. As the consultants Report reveals, the BUS DRIVERS and BUS CHECKERS have been demonized and accused of stealing from FIRCA revenue estimated to be between $F3m to $5million annually. If so, how many bus drivers are wealthy, travel in posh cars, send their children to top schools or are patients at Fiji's Private Hospitals?
Tell us, Khaiyum and Bala! The consultants Final Report was completed in 2009 and it is now 2017. There is another problem here: foreign consultants do not have the cultural experience of our society so they recommend Western models to solve Third World problems. Unlike the western world, many people in Fiji would jump on the first available bus in the night if they hear one has just been rushed to the hospital or has just passed away. Don't tell us they MUST have topped up travel cards for such unforeseen circumstances? But, then, Khaiyum and Bala don't travel by buses - they are driven around and protected by boot boys from the barracks. In Bala's case, even though he admitted that he was the driver of the car that killed POOR Puna Chand (too poor so was walking home) the Sri Lankan magistrate acquitted Bala on the grounds that no one saw Bala at the steering wheel. But BUS DRIVERS have been blamed for the pathetic financial state of the bus industry while the BUS OPERATORS are laughing to the bank.
How many of these bus operators funded the FFP in 2014? How many of them defrauded the National Bank of Fiji? Why no one is standing up for the BUS DRIVERS and the BUS CHECKERS? The passengers are told that you cannot PAY CASH to the Bus Drivers for they are 'THIEVES'.
A crack down on mini buses, carriers, 'matchboxes' and taxis will exacerbate racial tensions, for Indo-Fijians monopolize bus industry while the vast majority of their rival competitors operating other modes of transport are native Fijians. And what about on ELECTION DAY? What if a VOTER does not have sufficient money on his
E-TICKET TRAVEL CARD, will he/she be allowed to hop onto a bus and VOTE?
Everyday we are asked: Why is Aiyaz Khaiyum behaving like a dictator when the elections are around the corner? Our reply: He and Bainimarama, if they loose, will call on the boot boys, to boot out the winning party (parties) after 2018 election. That is why they are behaving like DICTATORS, including their minions like Bala warning 'DETRACTORS'. The appointment of Sitiveni Rabuka to lead SODELPA is a God-sent blessing for FFP and the Military - bogeyman for a COUP!
FFP'S BALA -THE BLACKMAILER: He threatens a public member and says "I know where you work" after being called a THUG during Speaker's Debate on the theme: "Is Fiji's Transport System Working?"
When Speaker interjected saying word THUG would have seen the public member Kelvin Anthony escorted out of Parliament, audience replied: "This is not Parliament"
The Speaker’s Debate on the theme “Is Fiji’s Transport System Working?” got ugly at GPH last night after a member of the public likened Minister for Transport Parveen Bala’s behaviour to a thug while Bala said that he knew where the man worked.
Several comments on e-ticketing were made during the forum. A common concern that was raised by the people attending the forum was the teething problems relating to the E-Ticketing System that led to some students walking to school yesterday and people having to endure long hours standing in lines to get a card or having their E transport cards topped up.
Transport Minister Parveen Bala stressed that the new E-Ticketing System will allow better accountability and highlighted that change in Fiji has the tendency to throw people off. However, he adds that if given enough time to iron out the teething problems, the E-Ticketing System will greatly improve public transportation, especially in buses. Bala stated that the e-ticketing System is not going to fail.
The Minister was booed and laughed at as he continued to answer questions and clarify some of the teething problems of the system. During the debate, the Minister’s behaviour was compared to that of a thug by a member of the public Kelvin Anthony. Speaker Doctor Jiko Luveni then told Anthony that if he was in parliament, he would have been asked to go out after making that comment.
However people said that this was not parliament.
Anthony had also said that he had no questions for the Minister as he had all the answers.
Bala responded that he knew Anthony and he also knew where he worked.
Bala told Anthony that the truth hurts as he had given all the facts about the E-Ticketing System and yet people like Anthony were not satisfied.
The Speaker Dr. Jiko Luveni also had to keep the public calm as the public continued with the remarks expressing that they were not satisfied with the answers provided by Bala.
The panelists in the debate included Parveen Bala, Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Aseri Radrodro, President of the Fiji Bus Operators Association Richard Lal, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering at FNU Salabogi Mavoa and Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji CEO John Tunidau. Source: Fijivillage News, 3 October 2017
Several comments on e-ticketing were made during the forum. A common concern that was raised by the people attending the forum was the teething problems relating to the E-Ticketing System that led to some students walking to school yesterday and people having to endure long hours standing in lines to get a card or having their E transport cards topped up.
Transport Minister Parveen Bala stressed that the new E-Ticketing System will allow better accountability and highlighted that change in Fiji has the tendency to throw people off. However, he adds that if given enough time to iron out the teething problems, the E-Ticketing System will greatly improve public transportation, especially in buses. Bala stated that the e-ticketing System is not going to fail.
The Minister was booed and laughed at as he continued to answer questions and clarify some of the teething problems of the system. During the debate, the Minister’s behaviour was compared to that of a thug by a member of the public Kelvin Anthony. Speaker Doctor Jiko Luveni then told Anthony that if he was in parliament, he would have been asked to go out after making that comment.
However people said that this was not parliament.
Anthony had also said that he had no questions for the Minister as he had all the answers.
Bala responded that he knew Anthony and he also knew where he worked.
Bala told Anthony that the truth hurts as he had given all the facts about the E-Ticketing System and yet people like Anthony were not satisfied.
The Speaker Dr. Jiko Luveni also had to keep the public calm as the public continued with the remarks expressing that they were not satisfied with the answers provided by Bala.
The panelists in the debate included Parveen Bala, Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Aseri Radrodro, President of the Fiji Bus Operators Association Richard Lal, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering at FNU Salabogi Mavoa and Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji CEO John Tunidau. Source: Fijivillage News, 3 October 2017
This is the real PARLIAMENT. Watch an out of control screaming FFP MP, Minister for Climate Change, and the cheering mob led by Aiyaz Khaiyum. The screaming and babbling "buffoon" was one of many Government individuals the two consultants had consulted while preparing their Report on the Fiji Bus Operators in 2009:
From Fijileaks Archive:
