The Transport Authority's decision last year to stop issuing rural stage carriage licences to Hiace buses plying a route from Kingston has caused persons to start selling the licences to bus operators.

Since the official process now means denial, persons have been selling the rural stage licences for between $40,000 and $60,000 to the Hiace bus operators.

Two Hiace bus operators confirmed with THE STAR that they were approached by persons who offered to sell them the licences after they had difficulties getting them.

"I applied for a licence but was not getting anywhere. I was referred to a man who I was told could help me. When I went to him he told me I could do it but I didn't continue with it because I had already upgraded my bus," said Rachela bus operator.

Rachel said she was initially given a contact at the Transport Authority office but later had to visit because the person said that he did not conduct business over the phone. She said she was told a figure of between $40,000 and $60,000 by the person who referred her.

The other operator who admitted to paying for the licence said he was told of the figure after another person referred him to someone who claimed he worked with the Transport Authority. John, as he prefers to be called, said he was told that the $40,000 ensured that he got the licence.

"Mi pay it because dem nuh give Hiace licence fi run from Kingston again an' is one mi have. Mi nuh min' paying it because mi mek back dat in a no time.

While these operators are quite involved in the new practice, when THE STAR contacted the Transport Authority, a rep-resentative said that they had heard of the fraudulent activity but had no evidence to support the claims.

"We've heard rumours about people who are selling licences but have no evidence. We, meaning the board and management team of the Transport Authority, are uncompromising in our stance that all transactions should be fair and transparent and we will investigate to the full extent any reports that are brought to our attention," said Petra Keane Williams, Com-munications manager at the Transport Authority.

At present, a person who goes through the legal channel pays $5,600 for new applications and an additional $900 per seat. Hence, a Toyota Coaster bus which holds about 27 passengers would pay $24,300 plus $5,600. In total, the fee of $29,900 is at least $10,000 less than the illegal route. Incidentally, the fees were increased from $4,250 earlier this month.

The Transport Authority in the meantime said that they invested huge sums of money to implement a new system and foolproof licensing forms to rid the organisation of any corrupt practice on February 15. Under the new system, no one person can grant a licence and the licences go to a committee for consideration. Only two persons now have the authority to sign new licences.

"There was a licence-tampering scam last year and so we have spent large sums of money to ensure that the licences are fool proof," said Williams. She added that the Transport Authority would be investigating the recent claims of corruption to preserve its integrity.