The days of bus drivers carrying lots of cash and becoming targets of robbers are over.

The General Secretary of the Fiji Bus Operators Association (FBOA) Rohit Latchan, said e-Ticketing had brought a sense of safety and security to the bus drivers and travellers.

Mr Latchan, who is also KR Latchan Group’s chief executive officer, said bus operators were now looking at how they could further better the working conditions of the drivers and pay them adequately.

Mr Latchan said drivers would now be paid according to the hours they worked which would be recorded.

“Drivers are important for us and we have to take care of them so what we will do now is to see how we can better their conditions and pay them well,” he said.

“The drivers are important for the bus industry and for us,” Mr Latchan said.

“Safety is important for our drivers and now with e-Ticketing, they won’t be carrying money and this will protect them. The buses won’t be vandalised, and the drivers won’t be punched or abused.”

He urged passengers to use the toll free lines made available for all Vodafone, Digicel and Telecom network users to make any complaints or enquiries that need be addressed.

Mr Latchan said his company was now equipped with the fully classified data of his travellers, senior citizens, people with special needs, school children and adults.

“We will now be able to know where there is demand and where we need to put in extra buses so people are served well.”

For a day alone he confirmed that about 10,000 passengers used the e-Ticketing services through KR Latchan buses.

Edited by Mohammed Ali

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