Arbitrariness was imposed for a few hours on the morning of October 30 in Guayaquil. City transport buses started charging users 40 cents without authorization.
The Federation of Urban Transporters of Guayas (Fetug) announced the decision the night before. Neither the Municipality of Guayaquil nor the City Transportation Agency (ATM) approved it. Even Mayor Aquiles Alvarez warned in May that there would be no price increase until a technical analysis was carried out.
‘People don’t have the money to pay more’, users say due to the increase in the price of city buses in Guayaquil
Unilateral and hasty decisions are serious in themselves and have a double effect on citizens, although desperation is argued due to the high cost of the service and the fact that there has been no price increase for 13 years. Carriers point out that they acted based on precautionary measures, while waiting for a technical analysis of the exchange rate.
The result of the increase was the suspension of units that charged 40 cents on the dollar. The ATM reported that at least 22 units have been sanctioned, so they will not be able to provide service for 30 days and their operators will have to pay a fine of six unit basic wages ($2,700).
Is the fare increase in Guayaquil justified? Carriers say they haven’t had a price increase in 13 years
Acting outside the regulations, unfortunately, takes its toll on service users who are left with fewer options for transfers, but also on the carriers themselves. The economic anxiety of the unions is understandable, but does not justify authoritarian action. Everyone in Ecuador must understand that imposition cannot go beyond dialogue and agreement.
The rules are made to be respected, and the obligation is to set up the technical desks and give priority to the quality service that the citizens are looking for, without harming the carriers.
Neither strikes nor the imposition of tariffs are the way forward in a country that only strives for fair work. The authorities are invited to do something, sit down, in this case with the passenger transport union, to find healthy solutions for everyone. (OR)
Source: Eluniverso
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
