SowetanLive reports that bus company Putco wants the government to increase its subsidy, saying the rising fuel costs have made it difficult to continue operating.

Last week, Putco suspended its 19% fare increase, which came only seven months after an earlier hike of 8% was implemented. The increase would have been implemented from 1 August, with Putco citing skyrocketing fuel prices and a low public transport subsidy rate from the Gauteng department of roads and transport. Putco spokesperson Matlakala Motloung said Putco had last week asked the department for a meeting to discuss the subsidy and ways to prevent a fare increase. “We have not yet met with the government. We sent a letter, and they acknowledged receipt of the letter. We are just waiting for a letter from them to give us dates of when we will have meetings. We want to meet with government so that they can come up with a long-term solution,” said Motloung. She indicated that the suspension of the fare increase came after talks with commuter organisations. Last week, angry commuters protested outside Putco’s depots in Dobsonville, Soweto and Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, over the exponential increase. Motloung said the company would give commuters feedback on 15 August on whether there would be an increase.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Koka at SowetanLive

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