MOTC to increase fares of inter-city buses

(KPL) Ministry of Transport and Construction announced that it wouldincrease the prices of bus fares of passenger buses plying the central and southern routes starting from 25 July.

The Head of Land Transport Development Department, Mr Tuy Phommasing said last week that the fare increase would be on the basis of 186 kip perkilometer due to the high price of crude oil here and in the world.

He added that because of the high price of oil the bus operators have beenlosing money and some of them had even suspended their businesses.

Referring to the central provinces routes, he said there would be a flat fee increase of 20% for express buses and special buses (VIP) and 30% for normalpassenger buses.

For the normal bus, the new fare for the Vientiane - Champassak route wouldbe 130.000 kip and for the express bus it would be 180.000 kip.

A normal bus trip from Vientiane to Savannakhet would cost the passenger 85,000 kip, an increase of 20,000 kip and if one uses the express bus thefare would be 115,000 kip and this is also a hefty increase.

However, Mr Tuy added that those who are 15 years of age and below would continue to enjoy reduced fare rate: 50 per cent of the adult rate for children aged 5 to 10 years old and 25 per cent of the adult rate forchildren aged 11 to 15 years old.

Children aged four and below travel for free but they should sit with theirparents, said Mr Tuy.

Members of the armed forces would get a concession of 20 per cent. Thedisabled, students and monks would enjoy 10 per cent concession, he added.