the Free Bus Transport Scheme for elderly citizens, disabled individuals and students and subsidies on diese…
(No. B/1011) Mr S. Jugurnauth (Second Member for Savanne & Black River) asked the Minister of Land Transport whether, in regard to the Free Bus Transport Scheme for elderly citizens, disabled individuals and students and subsidies on diesel provided to bus transport operators, he will state whether the subsidies vary for different seater buses, route wise or capacity wise.
Reply: According to information obtained from the National Land Transport Authority (NLTA), subsidies do not vary according to the seating capacity of buses for both neither – (i) for the Free Travel Scheme in respect of elderly citizens, disabled individuals and students, nor (ii) the subsidies on diesel provided to bus operators. Payment to bus operators under the Free Travel Scheme is, in fact, made according to an agreement signed in 2005, and tacitly renewed thereafter between the then Ministry of Land Transport and the respective bus companies and individual bus operators. The subsidy for diesel is made according to agreements signed between the then Ministry of Land Transport and the bus companies in 2004 and the individual bus operators in 2005, respectively. The subsidy is based on – (i) the difference between the actual price of diesel per litre and the base price of diesel as determined by government, and (ii) the estimated number of kilometres operated on a given route and a standard diesel consumption rate per kilometre devised by the NLTA.
144 CAESAREAN BIRTHS – PREVALENCE & POLICY MEASURES