Updated: 6:36am – The Land Transport Authority has made it clear that a bus driver was fined $1,000 yesterday because he allegedly accepted cash from a young boy and did not issue a receipt.
LTA Chairman Vijay Maharaj says the LTA officer has further revealed that the fine was issued to the bus driver when the boy upon being asked of his e‑ticketing card stated he did not have one, but instead he said he had already paid cash fare to the driver.
The boy was not in school uniform.
Maharaj says the Electronic Fare Ticketing Amendment Regulation 2017 which came into effect from 2nd November last year, states that a bus driver must ensure that all bus fares are paid through a bus card on a bus card reader and the driver who commits an offence is liable to be fined a fixed penalty of $1,000.
He says a person or company which has been issued with the Traffic Infringement Notice has a total of 90 days to pay their fine without having to pay the late penalty fees.
Maharaj says the driver may also dispute his matter before the court and should he win the matter before the court, the LTA will refund the full fine.
The Nasese Buses Limited driver, Mohammed Koya has questioned LTA why he was fined $1,000 as he claims that he did not take any money from the boy and allowed him to travel as he did not have an E-Transport card.
Koya says he was only following Education Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s statement that the Ministry of Education has made arrangements with the bus companies to allow students to board buses even if they do not have their E-Transport cards for the first two weeks of school.
He says the LTA officer was not wearing his uniform and also did not present his ID card when he questioned the driver why he did not tap the E-Transport card.
Koya says the LTA officer turned up today with his ID card and the Traffic Infringement Notice.
However, LTA says the idea of their Enforcement Officers going out to monitor the enforcement of the e‑ticketing system in civilian attire has been strongly supported by the bus operators.
LTA says this is done so that the drivers who continue to deceive the system and make money are caught red‑handed and penalized accordingly.
-Fiji Village
