the bus service along Route No. 137, Carreau Acacia to Curepipe, he will, for the benefit of the House, obta…
(No. B/991) Mr T. Apollon (Second Member for Mahebourg & Plaine Magnien) asked the Minister of Land Transport whether, in regard to the bus service along Route No. 137, Carreau Acacia to Curepipe, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from the National Land Transport Authority, information as to the – (a) number of complaints received in respect thereof, indicating the reasons therefor, and (b) measures being envisaged to ensure regular and reliable service for commuters thereat.
Madam Speaker, I am informed by the NLTA that six buses: two buses of the NTC and four individual buses are currently licensed to operate along Route No. 137 extending from Carreau Acacia to Curepipe. With regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed that no formal written complaint has been registered with the NLTA in respect of bus services along that route. However, a few verbal representations were received during inspections carried out by the NLTA on 27 February and 02 March 2026. These representations relate mainly to irregularity of bus services and non-compliance with the approved timetable. It was also observed that two of the individual bus operators were not complying with the timetable, and additionally, the frequency of operation was not aligned with the demand for services. Madam Speaker, the problem is a systemic one and can only be resolved with the help of technology. That is why I, myself, and officers of my Ministry have relentlessly worked on this problem which has been going on island wide for over two decades. Indeed, Government has been apprised during Cabinet Meeting of last Friday, that is, 03 July 2026, in the context of the progress of the implementation of the Digital Transformation Blueprint 2025-2029 on the achievement of my Ministry on the implementation of the fleet management system and other technology related projects like the cashless ticketing, the online payment of fines and digital driving licenses, renewal of motor vehicle licenses and even a mobile app for parking system. Like I always say, digitalisation, c'est le grand chantier de mon ministère. The bid evaluation exercise for the fleet management system has been completed. The successful bidder, a consortium led by State Informatics Limited, was notified on 05 June 2026 with a formal letter. However, a challenge has, unfortunately, been lodged with the Independent Review Panel by an unsuccessful bidder, which is the legitimate right of any bidder. We hope this issue will be sorted out expeditiously and that the system will be fully operational by next year as it seeks to bring monumental improvements to the bus service levels in terms of bus frequency and passenger information in the interest of 450,000 daily public commuters. While GPS technology is available since decades in many countries, it is only now that Mauritius will finally introduce this technology in the entire bus fleet. Madam Speaker, with regard to part (b) of the question, I am informed that a revised timetable was introduced on a trial basis, taking into consideration the new demand patterns in the region, following the closure of the sugar factory at Mon Désert Mon Trésor, which entailed the relocation of several inhabitants to the new VRS Morcellement. The revised timetable is in place since 27 April 2026 and is still prevalent. The bus operation along the route will continue to be monitored, and adjustment will be made to the frequency of the bus services to better respond to the travel needs of the public. To end, Madam Speaker, I am informed that subsidy deductions have been effected for days where services have not been provided for by any operator and that an inquiry is also currently underway for disciplinary actions to be initiated against those operators not abiding by the requirements of their timetable. Thank you.
Yes, hon. Apollon is happy. It seems to me that some Members are feeling very hot. But I am not. Mind you, when I get very cold, you do not know. So, maybe somebody will tell the technicians to do something about it. It is not equal everywhere.
(Interruptions)
Ça va toi? Froid? Chaud?
Ceux qui ont chaud peuvent enlever leurs vestes. Ceux qui ont froid ne peuvent pas se chauffer plus!
Allez chut! We will do what we can, okay? Try and make it. Moi, je n'ai pas chaud. The Table has been advised that the following PQs have been withdrawn...
(Interruptions)
Members! Hon. Minister!
(Interruptions)
Hon. Minister, I am trying to speak. The Table has been advised that the following PQs have been withdrawn: B/992, B/993 and B/1008. TRIANON UNDERPASS – CCTV SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS & PANIC BUTTONS INSTALLATION