KUALA LUMPUR: Bus fares will not increase for the time being with a review planned for next year.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said that reviewing public transport rates annually would help reduce the burden on the public.

He said the earlier policy held the possibility of increases being too high and inconveniencing the public.

"If it is done once in like four to five years, the fares will increase tremendously and the public will feel the pinch.

"This way, we can clearly see the transportation sector's operational costs and have reasonable explanation to increase or decrease the fares," he told reporters after presenting certificates to taxi drivers who attended a seminar at Mara headquarters yesterday.
Noh said the government will not bow to bus operators' request for a 100 per cent, or at the least, 70 per cent increase in bus fares.

"We will study whether they need to increase the fares but absolutely not by that much. We don't want to burden the rakyat," he said.

The New Straits Times had on Saturday front-paged a report on the Pan Malaysia Bus Operators Association's intention to ask for bus fares to go up by 100 per cent or 70 per cent.

It had said that it would only raise rates by 70 per cent if the government slashed the price of subsidised diesel from RM1.43 per litre to RM1, fixed quotas of a maximum of 6,000 litres per month for stage buses and 9,000 litres for express buses monthly, and gave a monthly subsidy for stage buses that covered social and rural routes.

Noh said bus operators should make do with the 30 per cent fare surcharge approved for 30 days from Sept 15 for the Hari Raya festive period which had not been removed.

"Bus operators also have to consider the incentives given by the government on tolls, and the lower price of diesel and lesser road tax.

"All these must be taken into account before asking for a fare hike."

On taxi drivers, he said the ministry would determine a rate for peak hours.

"We are looking into the matter as many drivers avoid taking passengers to certain places at peak hours due to traffic congestion."

Noh said taxi drivers would be allowed to sell, among others, water, handphone prepaid cards and peanuts for additional income.

"The ministry will also give out individual permits to taxi drivers who do not want to be attached to a particular company."

For starters, 1,000 individual permits will be issued in the Klang Valley by the end of the year.

Noh warned companies which hired foreigners to drive taxis to stop doing so or risk having their permits suspended.