THE Sigatoka Town Council charges 21 cents as bus stand fees to every bus that uses the council facility.
Highlighting income-generating challenges for the council, special administrator Atish Naidu said the fee was not enough to meet the council’s improvement plans.
“We had proposed an increase but that was met with a lot of criticism,” Mr Naidu said.
“The bus stand has been around for a very long time and it needs to be upgraded.
“It is an important stop over for buses travelling between Lautoka and Suva which is why we want to at least give it a facelift.
“But at this point, a lot of our stakeholders do not want an increase in fees.”
Mr Naidu said the fee was levied on every bus company that service the Sigatoka routes and the inter-city buses that travel along the Queens Highway.
In the meantime, the council is exploring other income-generating options.
“We are currently constructing a new public convenience near the old bridge because as far as I know, Sigatoka only has one public convenience.
“We are also looking at setting up coffee shops, and there is another investor who wants to set up a paddle boat business near the town.
“So, we have given the approvals, and they will start in a few weeks’ time.”
Mr Naidu said the council’s main income sources were town rates, stall fees and parking fees.
