Taxi strike averted

MASERU – THE government has bowed to pressure from taxi operators after it approved a 30 percent fare hike this week.
The decision to agree to the fare hike staved off a massive protest by taxi operators that was set to paralyse the transport sector countrywide.

The new fares will be with effect from June 1.
Passengers will now be expected to fork out M12 per trip, up from the previous M9.

As a result of the agreement, the taxi operators called off the countrywide protest.
The Maseru Region and Taxi Operators (MRTO) spokesman, Lebohang Moea, said the threats to strike were triggered by complaints that the government was neglecting their demands.

The MRTO chairman, Mokete Jonase, said for years the government had been making verbal promises to improve the fares but failed to implement any changes.
The taxi operators met Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro on Monday in an effort to break the impasse. On Tuesday, they then met Transport Minister Tšoeu Mokeretla where a deal was sealed.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the government said the taxi operators’ grievances had been addressed.
Bataung Thulo, a member of the MRTO board, said Mokeretla told them that the board had approved the 30 percent fare increase.

The board was now in the process of engaging economic experts to see how the increase will affect other stakeholders.
He said the minister is expected to provide feedback on these deliberations to the MRTO.

Thulo said from April to May, consultations with the stakeholders and printing of the list of fares will be completed so that on June 1 the new fares will be implemented.
He said a review and promulgation of the new regulations will be effective from June 1, 2022.

He said the association had also requested the government to extend the validity of fitness certificates from six months to a year.
Thulo said the Ministers of Finance and Transport also promised to come up with a plan to implement a Covid-19 relief programme next month.

He said this follows a petition by the association for the minister to subsidise taxi owners who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the government-owned Lesotho Flight Bus Service Corporation, Thulo said stakeholders in the transport sector will provide input on plans to resuscitate the corporation while ensuring that it does not compete with private operators.

Thulo said Mokeretla also pledged to request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to arrange a meeting of the two transport ministers from Lesotho and South Africa to deal with the cross-border issues.
He said the meeting should be held before June 1.

He said in July the plan will be elevated to the Bi-National Commission for Cooperation between Lesotho and South Africa.
Thulo said the implementation of the plans will be completed by October this year.

Refiloe Mpobole