The disgruntled Friendly Island Bus Association members are still not happy with the way Government rejected their request for Customs Duty and Consumption Tax exemptions.

FIBA members stopped offering public transport services from 14-16 April after government turned down their request to exempt them from paying Customs Duty and Consumption Tax on Diesel fuel, Motor parts, Tyres, and Any other components to improve bus services.

Samipeni Finau, the president of the Friendly Island Bus Association (FIBA), said that their decision to call off their stoppage after three days was in response to public demand.

There was a shortage of public transport during the 2014 Inter-college Athletics competition, from 15-17 April.

He said that after he received a number of calls from people, expressing their disappointment that there was no bus service, he called other members of FIBA, then they agreed to go back, but he said they have to talk to government again.

FIBA buses were back in operation on 17 April.

Samipeni said that since their three-days stoppages there had been no communication from government.

He said that they have also heard the Minister for Commerce, Tourism and Labour explaining on the radio why the bus fares had to remain at its current rate, simply because the price of fuel was lower today than in 2008, when the current bus fares were set to compensate a high price for diesel of $3.93 per liter and $3.50 per liter for petrol.

The current price for fuel: Petrol is $2.88 per liter and diesel is $2.92 per liter.

Samipeni said that he appreciated the public statement made by the ministry, though he has not seen a copy of it, but he wished that government would appreciate the sacrifice that FIBA members have to make in order to provide the bus transport service for Tongatapu. "The prices of tyres, motor parts and labour have all gone up, and to keep the service running is very costly. A second-hand tyre is more than two hundred pa'anga.”

Samipeni has 12 buses and to have spare parts and spare tyres in stock, is very costly, he said.

Samipeni was hospitalized following the three days bus strike and said that FIBA members would reseek government assistance.