BY MELVILLE TITIULU
The Honiara Central Magistrate’s Court has fined a bus driver and a conductor $1000 each for breaching business license conditions by operating on a short public transport route.
Alister Maluka of Taba’a village, North Malaita, and Darren Basi of Rufoki village, East Fataleka, Malaita Province, were charged with operating on a short bus route service.
Principal Magistrate Ben Alasia, in delivering his sentence judgment on Thursday, reminded the bus driver and his conductor in court of the entrusted responsibility that comes with operating reliable and reasonable public transport services in the country, especially to students, the working class and public commuters.
Principal Magistrate Alasia told the offenders in court that it was because of their ignorance of the HCC business license conditions that they continued to unfairly profit or enrich themselves at the expense of the passengers, resulting in them having to pay double bus fare from one bus stop to another, resulting in them arriving late at their work offices and schools with unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses.
The Principal Magistrate entered a conviction upon their guilty pleas and imposed a fine of $1000.00 each. Both must pay their fines totalling $2000.00 to be payable to the court no later than Friday next week.
They were told in court that, in default of payment, they will subsequently serve 2 months imprisonment term at the Rove Correctional Centre.
The complainant in this matter is a female passenger who was standing at the White River bus stop waiting for a bus to the Central Market.
It was alleged that on May 5, 2026, at about 8:15 am, the complainant and other passengers boarded the bus bearing registration B-1828.
The bus then took off and dropped the passengers at the Rove Bulk shop bus stop, and the bus conductor was seen calling out for Central Market to the passengers.
The complainant again boarded that same bus, and upon arrival at the central market, the female complainant then went to the Law enforcement office and reported the matter.
Officers then later sighted the bus and invited the driver and his conductor to the law enforcement office for further dealings.
At the station, both were formally arrested and charged and were bailed to appear before the court for a plea.
Francis Wales who is the case manager of the HCC Prosecution office told Island Sun yesterday that the HCC does not have the capacity to enforce this regulation at all bus stops and that all passengers are advised to take the Bus registration number of any Bus sighted in breach of short route and over charging bus fare by either calling the landline #26342 or to make a formal complaint and statement at the HCC enforcement headquarter.
Mr Harry Bisafo prosecuted the case, and he represented the HCC and the defendants were self-represented in court.
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