Individual bus operators to take to the streets?

Individual bus operators say they are ready to take to the streets in order to be heard. They have criticised “the lack of consideration” by the authorities on the issue of state aid to amortise the salary increase recommended by the National Remuneration Board (NRB) for employees in this sector.

Le Mauricien reported that bus companies were entitled to financial assistance to implement the proposed wage increase while the individual bus operators said they were “left behind.”

The recent hike in gasoline and diesel have reportedly made matters worse.

“We demand that the government provides us with financial assistance. Else, we will have no choice but to take to the streets,” Sunil Jeewoonrain, spokesperson of the Bus Owners Cooperative Federation (BOCF) was quoted as saying in Le Mauricien.

He added that individual bus operators are ready to protest, but are waiting for sanitary restrictions linked to COVID-19 are removed.