The express bus fare rates will increase early next year following a hefty increase in operating costs, said Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar.

He added, according to a Bernama report, that the fare increase was unavoidable despite the fuel price drop.

noh omar "The demand made by express bus operators to increase the fare is just not because of the fuel price increase (since before June this year) but the rising operating costs like for batteries, tyres and insurance.

"We take all these factors into consideration and there's a big possibility that the bus fare will go up next year despite the drop in fuel price," he said in reply to Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

The minister was responding to a question from Salahuddin if the government planned to reduce the express bus fare nationwide in view of the drop in oil price.

Noh added that the bus fare structure was last reviewed in 2005. He said that it was timely for the government to now consider the express bus operators' request for another review.

8,067 summonses on bus drivers

He stressed that any increase in the express bus fare would not unnecessarily burden the people, especially the poor, the main users of public transport.

express bus ekspress crowd 050208 "Yet, we have to consider the problems faced by the bus companies, which after running at a loss, may have to sell off some of their buses and reduce trips or even forced to fold up. In the end, the people will suffer," he said.

Noh also said that the police and Road Transport Department had issued 8,067 summonses on bus drivers for various offences up to August.

Noh also told Abdul Aziz Abdul Kadir (PKR-Ketereh) that there were now nine express bus companies with 157 buses plying the Kota Baharu-Kuala Lumpur route.

He said the number of trips was fixed according to the number of passengers using the service but normally, each bus made 30 trips per week.

"When there are not that many passengers, the bus operators will reduce the trips to save cost."