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January 07, 2008
Bus Union Demands Fare Increase from 4.5 Pesos to 6
The Friday edition of the El Publico newspaper carried a story about how the Bus Alliance and the Chamber of Transportation for the state of Jalisco are demanding an increase in bus fares from the current four-and-a-half pesos to six. The state government has the final say on such increases in fares, so it is not a done deal.
The union argues that the price of a liter of diesel went up 23 centavos, and next year, it will go up 29 centavos (the gas company is a state-run monopoly, so increases in gas prices are more or less programmed by the government and known in advance). It is also complaining that bus companies were forced by the state to buy new buses, but not allowed to charge enough to make up for these new capital expenditures.
While I understand the plight of the bus companies, I have to say that it is hard to feel much sympathy after one spends time riding the buses here. I wrote before about how it brings out the worst in everyone. After you ride it a few times, you see why people are not at their best after dealing with it. The drivers often blow right by the stops, when people are obviously trying to flag them down. The buses are often extremely crowded. They are never as frequent as the Guía de Rutas says they are. They are terrible polluters. The drivers drive them like they are sportscars. On top of the fact that they're calling for an increase of 33% of the current fare, I do not think that they are going to have a lot of public support because the thought of the bus is not a happy thought.
It is too bad, really, because the city needs decent public transportation. Yet like many things in Mexico, they don't even think about making the system as good as it could be, but rather just good enough to work at some level.
Posted by crispy at January 7, 2008 04:58 PM
Comments
Check your math on the fare increase.
[crispy says: Thanks! I have done so and corrected my erroneous figure from 50% to 33% of the current 4.5 peso fare above. Although negotiations continue at this time, the El Público is saying that all signs are indicating that new fares will be 5.5 pesos when all is said and done.]
Posted by: jrc at January 20, 2008 08:58 PM