Fijians now have a bus company complaint procedure to help them raises issues experienced on the most used mode of public transport. [File Photo]

Fijians now have a bus company complaint procedure to help them raises issues experienced on the most used mode of public transport.

This comes as the Land Transport Authority of Fiji and Consumer Council of Fiji have teamed up to assist Fijians who have grievances against the bus industry.

LTA Chief Executive, Samuel Simpson, says they have launched this new initiative to give consumers a direct voice and the ability to make direct contact with the bus operators themselves.

He says there are 63 commercial bus operators in Fiji and this also gives them the opportunity to have direct communication with their customers for the first time.

The guide also includes a list of acceptable and unacceptable excuses for delays and other similar issues.

This allows customers to distinguish between what is and isn’t within the bus operator’s ability to fix, and we expect bus operators to take care of such complaints within a reasonable timeframe.

Simpson says this process is not meant to be used against bus service providers without reason but is intended to give Fijians a mechanism by which they can get redress as quickly as possible.

CCF CEO, Seema Shandil, said that the launch of the procedure will also benefit bus service providers by encouraging consumers to go and lodge their complaints initially with the bus service providers, allowing them to address the issue directly.

If complainants don’t get a satisfactory answer, they can get in touch with the Consumer Council via the Consumer Council of Fiji mobile app or the toll-free number 155.