By Nuusita Ashipala
ONGWEDIVA – The president of the Namibian Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta), Vespa Muunda, said the association would issue a transport tariff guide by Monday next week.
The guide will regulate bus taxi and bus tariffs on all Namibian roads and help in preventing passengers from being overcharged.
He said the current prices were approved by Nabta and government and hence shall remain as such until such a time it is deemed appropriate to change them.
“Every bus operator should collect the booklet and no person shall be allowed on the road without the booklet,” said Muunda.
He said people found in possession of a copied guide would be dealt with and be subject to a fine of N$3 000 regardless of whether one is the buyer or seller of the guide.
With the provision of the guide Nabta does not expect to hear complaints from passengers that are overcharged.
Currently it is impossible to regulate luggage fees, however, the price for luggage to be carried on a trailer varies from operator to operator.
In the guide Nabta has made provision for light luggage.
“The price of transporting luggage depends on the type of luggage; some charge between N$20 and N$30,” stated Muunda.
The Nabta president said bus operators who overcharge after the tariff guide is issued should be reported to the police or to Nabta for appropriate action.
With the festive season the price of bus fares increase daily.
Although the bus fares between Ondangwa or Oshakati to Windhoek remain at N$220 as per the Nabta tariffs passengers are currently charged N$260 from Windhoek to the north excluding their luggage.
When New Era spoke to a bus operator who operates between Oshakati and Windhoek, he indicated that the luggage price from Windhoek to the north is expensive at this time of the year.
This is because there are more passengers travelling to the north than those travelling to the city.
“This time around there is no price from the north, because the target is to get people from Windhoek to the north; if you are travelling from the north we can negotiate the price because the target is to get petrol money to get to Windhoek,” related the bus operator.
Losses incurred on empty buses from the north to Windhoek are cancelled out by the fees of passengers travelling from Windhoek to the north.