Soaring crude oil prices have led to an increase in the aviation fuel surcharge for international flights, but it would not affect bus fares at the moment, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said in a report yesterday at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
The average price of diesel has risen to NT$27.096 per liter, which has exceeded the threshold of NT$26.297 per liter for a highway bus rate hike, the report said.
Based on the ministry’s pricing scheme, highway bus operators can raise the basic rate from NT$3.48 per passenger-kilometer to NT$3.593 per passenger-kilometer. However, the government would subsidize bus operators for the increase in operational costs caused by rising oil prices, so passengers would not need to pay more for bus fares, it said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Cargo transport prices would also remain unchanged, as the average price of diesel has yet to reach the threshold of NT$27.66 per liter, it said.
“For tour bus, taxi and rental car operators, we will closely observe how rising oil prices affect them and consider reducing fuel usage fees,” the report said.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration this month raised the fuel surcharge for long-haul international flights from US$52 to US$58 per flight segment, and from US$20 to US$22.5 for short-haul international flights. That translates into a US$13 increase in roundtrip fares for long-haul flights and a US$5 increase for short-haul flights, it said.
Ticket prices for domestic flights would remain unchanged for now as they have not met conditions to warrant a change, the ministry said.
The average freight rate has remained stable at US$9,700 to US$9,800, it added.
The ministry is not planning to adjust Taiwan Railways Administration’s ticket prices, which have remained unchanged for 20 years, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said.
“We will consider the issue when the agency improves its safety, reliability and punctuality record,” he said.
“However, we might consider relaxing fares for tourism trains first,” he said.
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