A source from NDRC revealed on the 30th that NDRC, the top economic planning body, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport ordered on the 27th that pricing, financial and transport authorities at all levels should adopt comprehensive measures to relieve the impacts of finished oil prices on the transportation industry, and strictly control chain reactions triggered by the oil price hike announced recently.
The three ministries and commissions emphasized in the circular that after the finished oil price hike, passenger and freight transportation costs for highway and waterway have increased correspondingly. The local authorities should firmly implement the subsidy policy to guarantee the stability of urban transport, rural road passenger transport (including inter-island and rural waterway passenger transport) and taxi fare. Raising traffic tariff in any form at any reason is forbidden.
Three ministries and commissions pointed out that for highway passenger transport (not including rural road passenger transport) pursuant to guidance prices of the government, or government-set prices, may reasonably cut rising transport prices through building and improving the transportation-finished oil price linkage mechanism on the premise of taking full account of market supply and social sustainability, and balancing the interests of consumers and business operators. Enterprises should offset increased costs through improving management and lowering costs to refrain from implementing hitchhike price rise outstripping the expenditure triggered by increased oil prices. For transportation tariffs of highway freight and waterway passenger and freight transport, inspection and monitoring should also be strengthened to timely prevent business operators from implementing hitchhike price rise outstripping the expenditure triggered by increased oil prices.
Three ministries and commissions required the local authorities continue to strengthen regulation on charges related to traffic and transportation to firmly abolish unreasonable charging items, and reduce overcharging standards. The local authorities may in line with their actual situations, provide preferential policies such as charge rebate to relevant traffic business operators to reduce transportation costs and relieve their financial burden.