Highway bus fares are soon to be raised by 10 to 20 percent following an evaluation by the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH).
The nation has 32 highway bus operators, offering 480 service routes.
Highway bus fares for the routes have not been adjusted since 2010, the DGH said.
In July last year, highway bus operators proposed raising bus fares by 30 percent, citing an increase in operational costs.
The highway authority in September began reviewing the operators’ arguments for a price hike, including rising costs for personnel, fuel, vehicle maintenance and other items involved in the businesses’ operation.
The DGH said it spent six months evaluating the proposals and earlier this month decided to allow the operators raise the bus fares by 10 to 20 percent, instead of the proposed 30 percent.
The highway authority agreed to the price hike on a preliminary basis, DGH Director-General Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) said.
The plan would have to be reviewed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which would make the final decision.
Chen said that the highway authority would ensure that all the complementary measures are in place when the bus fares are raised to minimize the impact of the price hike on the public.
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