Fares go up; passengers angered

[NewsWhore]

Yesterday, some public transport drivers began charging higher fares to the dismay of passengers. Reports indicate that the increases were between RD$3 and RD$20, depending on the route, the driver and the union the driver is affiliated to. Hoy writes that beginning today more bus drivers will increase their prices. Union leaders argue that keeping fares at current levels is unsustainable. The fare increase comes as a surprise to some, because earlier this week transport union leaders agreed that they would not increase prices until after they met with President Leonel Fernandez to discuss possible solutions. The decision to increase fares angered many passengers yesterday. News correspondent Lu Olivero reports that the many people were surprised that the fares had been increased and some refused to pay the extra RD$5 or RD$10, causing problems between drivers and passengers. Many blamed the union leaders' greed as the reason for the fare hike. Olivero reports that tensions were so high that at one point a driver ordered an elderly woman to shut up. One woman is quoted as saying, "how much more can we poor people take? Isn't it enough that we are poor? Isn't enough that we can't buy food and buy clothes? They want to humiliate us and treat us like we aren't human. They want big jeeps and all I want is to get home."

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