[sustran] bus fares in Santiago

[Christopher Zegras]

courtesy of chipnews www.chip.cl

     --  BUS PRICES TO RISE UPON NEW AGREEMENT.  Santiago's
micro bus prices will rise to $180 (US$0.40)pesos upon conclusion of a new
agreement between the government and bus operators, officials
said Sunday.
        The current prices are either $160 (US$0.36) or $170 (US$0.38) pesos
depending
on the bus company.  Santiago's city buses are owned by
independent companies that apply for licenses from the Ministry
of Transportation.
        The price rise is part of the ministry's review of all its
concessions.  It has already awarded 294 new concessions for the
upcoming year.
        Prices will rise, ministry officials said, despite an ongoing
investigation by the National Fiscal Office concerning collusion and
price gouging by bus drivers.  The investigation is centered
around a recent vote by the bus companies over the price hike in
which 96 percent of them proposed raising prices to $190 (US$0.42).  The
Fiscal Office suspects wrongdoing because of the unanimity of the
voting.
*
courtesy of chipnews www.chip.cl

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