transportation

Canatra divided over fare and gas prices

Carriers in the capital and provinces have different ideas about how to resolve the problems facing the public transportation sector.

VÍCTOR AROSEMENA/LA PRENSA

On the march:Canatra representatives and carriers demonstrated yesterday for an increase in bus and taxi fares. 971572

While the leadership of the Cámara Nacional del Transporte (Canatra) denies that its members are divided over a proposal to raise fare prices, the cracks within the group are obvious.

Yesterday, provincial representatives of Canatra---they account for 80 percent of the group's membership---presented a proposal to President Martin Torrijos that would freeze the price of diesel at $2 per gallon and $2.50 for regular gas. The proposal also calls for monitoring the quality of spare parts, among other things.

This differs significantly from the proposal favored by Canatra members from the capital, who want an increase in bus fares from 25 cents to 40 cents, an increase of 40 percent for taxi fares and a fuel subsidy for transportation workers in the interior of the country.

Jose Concepción, a leader from the province of Veraguas, denied the existence of a division among carriers but emphasized that "passengers cannot bear another increase, and we can not put another burden on them." He noted that the State could come up with some solutions to the problem, as it did by increasing the salaries of doctors who went on strike or granting concessions to foreign companies as it did with ICA and Pycsa or Norberto Odebretch for the construction of highways.

Gustavo Becker, the leader of Canatra in Colón, said that the provincial carriers and carriers in the capital are not divided but that, although the two groups have taken different approaches, they would not support a suspension of service, implying that the metropolitan members' plan might provoke such an outcome.

"They let us raise the fare 20 cents in Colón two years ago, and diesel has gone up 90 cents since then. If they give us another increase and the price of fuel goes up eight months from now, who do you think is going to pay for that?" Becker asked.

The provincial leaders of Canatra have given the government 30 days to respond to their proposal. If it doesn't, they will take further action to be announced at that time.