Harbel City, Margibi County — Drivers operating between Harbel and Kakata City are refusing to reduce their transport fares, maintaining the current transportation of L$400 despite a government mandate for reduced transportation costs.
Passengers traveling between the two cities have expressed growing frustration, accusing drivers at both the Harbel and Kakata parkings of price exploitation. The fare, which has remained unchanged for over three years, continues to be enforced even amid decreases in fuel and commodity prices.
Confronting the situation on Tuesday, several commercial drivers and members of the transport federation at the Harbel parking defended the persistent fare, citing the deteriorating condition of the Harbel Duty Road.
“This road is not part of the main paved highway. The government’s fare reduction applies to alpha pavement routes, not this duty road. We’re spending more on vehicle maintenance and fuel due to the bad road,” explained a driver firmly collected the L$400 fare from passengers who were stranded to go Kakata.
The drivers argue that until the road is rehabilitated, any fare reduction would be a financial loss. They insist the L$400 rate is justified by the risks and expenses involved in navigating the damaged roadway.
However, passengers have criticized what they describe as a lack of oversight from the Ministry of Transport and other relevant government agencies.
“The government is not doing enough to monitor the implementation of their own regulations,” said Josephine Kollie, a regular commuter. “We’re being forced to pay this high fare because there’s no proper supervision.”
Many passengers are calling for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Transport and the Margibi County authorities to ensure fair pricing and better road maintenance.
For now, the standoff continues, with drivers holding firm on the L$400 fare, and passengers left to bear the brunt of what they see as unjustified transportation costs.
