The cost of taking public transport in Fiji is set to get cheaper with the announcement of a 10 per cent decrease in bus fares from next week and 50 cents drop in taxi flag fall rate a few days later.
Fiji Live reports the interim Transport Minister Timoci Natuva has issued a directive to the Land Transport Authority to bring down the bus fare rate.
A Government statement explains that the decrease is in response to the drop in the prices of imported fuel.
The Fiji Bus Operators Association had been granted a fare rate increase early last year as a result of rising global fuel prices.
At the weekend, Natuva also directed that the taxi flag fall rate be decreased by 50 Fijian cents.
He has since extended the deadline for all taxi metres to be recalibrated to the new rate by February 14.
From Valentine's Day, the taxi metres are required to start at $1.00 from 6am to 10pm and $1.50 from 10pm to 6am.
The Fiji Taxi Union has supported the Government's decision after earlier calling it "unfair".
The bus operators have yet to comment on the matter
