The people are expected to see the public transport fares increase next year (2026) driven by the high cost of operation for maintaining the public transport system.

According to the Independent Consumer and Competitions Commission (ICCC), its Draft Report for the 2025 Public Motor Vehicle (PMV) and Taxi Fare Reviews, shows that operation costs for PMVs have increased by more than 60% in the last five years since 2019 while for taxis, it has increased by more than 40% during the same time, with the major cost component for operating PMVs and taxis being fuel cost.

Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Associate Commissioner (Resident), Mr. Jack Timi said the draft report contains the ICCC’s preliminary findings and draft determinations for setting the PMV and taxi fares for the next regulatory period (2026-2030).

“Most importantly, the draft report contains the proposed PMV and taxi fares that will be applied starting 1st January 2026,” Mr. Timi said.

Based on its key findings, the ICCC has proposed that;

• PMV fares will be increased by 60%, however, that increase will be implemented in phases by 20% annually for the first three years of the five-year regulatory period.

• Taxi fares will be increased by 40% and implemented in phases by 16%, 14% and 10% for the first three years of the five-year regulatory period.

• In addition to this upfront increase, fares will be subject to annual adjustments linked to changes in fuel prices and the Underlying Consumer Price Index (CPI). The ICCC has proposed that a 60% weighting in the adjustment formulae will be allocated to fuel reflecting its dominant share in operator costs, particularly PMVs, while the CPI component will represent 40% of the adjusted fares, capturing broader cost drivers.

In the meantime, Mr. Timi is urging all PMV and taxi owners, operators, PMV Associations, commuters, Government agencies and the general public to provide their written comments and submissions on ICCC’s Draft Determinations.

All the comments and submissions provided will assist the ICCC to complete the review process and release a Final Report before the end of this year, containing the Final Determinations. The new base fares for PMV and Taxi services will apply from 1st January 2026 and adjusted over the next five years