Users were upset with the increase because they will have to pay between one and three pesos more to travel.
The Chapala-Mezcala bus route charges ten pesos to San Nicolás de Ibarra. In the municipality of Poncitlán, the regular fare is maintained. Photo: Jazmín Stengel.
Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- The Chapala Plus public service bus line increased its costs in the municipality unexpectedly and without prior notice to users, causing consternation and confusion among riders. In neighboring towns, fares remain unchanged.
As of May 9, the drivers of the direct routes or «big buses», as they are identified by the population, began to charge ten pesos per fare within the limits of the municipality. No prior notice was given to the public about the price increase.
The smaller «chiquitos» buses, as of the closing of this edition, only increased their regular fare by one peso, according to the drivers. However, at the parking booth, the person in charge of the booth said that he had not yet received any orders in this respect.
This sudden increase caused discomfort among users, since many of them use the transport for short trips. In other words, people who used to pay only seven or eight pesos, now have to pay ten pesos in the large bus.
This is in spite of the fact that, according to those in charge of the ticket office, only one peso has been added to the minimum fare at the Chapala bus station. That is, from nine to ten pesos for users who travel between the municipal capital and the towns of Santa Cruz de la Soledad, San Nicolás de Ibarra and Ajijic.
The people’s dissatisfaction increased due to the fact that the same fare began to be applied to trips between San Antonio and Ajijic, or the municipal seat and the Riberas del Pilar agency, which is approximately three kilometers away.
The unexpected situation affected many users economically, since people who had just enough money to get to school or work were denied service by the drivers for not having the fare.
This was the case of Daniel, a father who previously needed 24 pesos to take his two children to school from San Antonio Tlayacapan to Ajijic. With the new prices the expense increased to 30 pesos, six more than before. Today, this family must calculate at least 60 pesos a day for transportation.
Young people were also affected, as they need to make two or more trips per day. As expressed by Lulu, a single mother who commutes from Chapala to Ajijic and from Ajijic to Walmart, at a total cost of 40 pesos a day. Whereas before she only spent 32 pesos on fares. «Luckily I brought the money, but it was my turn to see how many were left behind,» shared the young woman.
Complaints from different users qualified this increase as «unfair» since most of the vehicles are in bad condition, they said.. In addition, the drivers do not respect schedules, «they come at inappropriate hours and drive very badly», said Luis, a young man who uses the service every day to get to work.
Other criticisms were the lack of tact in dealing with users on the part of the company’s workers, who are often rude to passengers. And, the fact that the price increase was only within the municipality of Chapala.
The trips to the municipalities of Jocotepec, Poncitlán and Guadalajara, including the different fares of their delegations, continue unchanged. Semanario Laguna tried by various means to obtain information about the fare increase, but the company did not respond to repeated requests for clarification
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Los comentarios están cerrados.
© 2016. Todos los derechos reservados. Semanario de la Ribera de Chapala