Chingola PSV drivers have staged a work boycott

Public Service Vehicles (PSV) driver have said PF is a useless Government and if a by-election can come today the PF will fall like rotten wild fruits from the tree.

The PSV drivers whose two members were arrested and detained Chingola Central police said PF had made itself unpopular because  it's adamant.

The drivers have staged work boycott and parked their vehicles to pressuring Government to accept their new fares or it should reduce fuel prices.

The bus and taxi drivers had initially hiked the fares soon after Government had increased fuel by over 20 per cent.

Speaking for the irate taxi driver at Chiwempala bus station Levy Mulenga said it was unthinkable for Government to oppose transport fare increment when it had hiked fuel prices without consultations.

Mr Mulenga said the Government had hiked fuel prices by 20.6 per cent while the drivers had only made an increment of 16.7 per cent on all routes.

“If Government want us to reduce fares let them reduce fuel, how do they expect us to be making a loss when this heartless Government is making profit? You can’t order goods at KR10 and sell them at the same price but this is what the PF Government is forcing us to be doing.

“Since Road Transport and Safety Agency think we are stealing from the passengers we have just opted to park our vehicles and wait until they approve our fares or they reduce fuel prices. We are happy the people are suffering and they will suffer more in this PF Government. Recently it was mealie meal and Government said they didn’t have a control what of fuel now?’ he asked

Mr Mulenga said Chingola has bad roads and the drivers who had massively supported PF, thought things would change but alas it was from an employee to slavery.

He said apart from the bad roads and hiked fuel prices, the traffic officers were a menace to PSV drivers almost sharing daily cashing with drivers.

The chairperson at the same station Dominic Mulenga said his drivers will not suffer but the passengers who voted for PF will.

“This Government is useless and if any by- election can occur today kuti bapona nga masuku ayabola (it can fall like rotten will fruits). They never asked us to hike fuel and we won’t ask them too.

“Let Government bring its own buses and taxis to be transporting people at the lower fare because even the director of RTSA does not even know the price of fuel as his vehicle is always on full tank of fuel from tax payers money,” he said

And one of the passengers and resident of Maiteneke Rachael Banda said Government was unreasonable to object the hiking transport fares.

Ms Banda said it had been a trend that whenever fuel was hiked the commodity prices of everything equally increase.

She said the hiking of fares was reflection of how Government wants to treat the citizens.

“We are ready to pay and move from point to together rather than paralyzing our business and especially Monday the situation will be very bad,” she