Why I don't want to operate a Passenger Motor Vehicle in Papua New Guinea

(Photo: three-tonne truck used as a Passenger Motor Vehicle in Papua New Guinea)

In 2009 my friend, an ex-teacher, used his retirement payout to buy a new three-tonne truck, after his eldest son told him that it could be profitably operated as a passenger motor vehicle (PMV). They agreed that his son was to manage the truck's operations on the understanding that he would provide my friend with regular updates on its financial situation.

They also agreed that, after operating the truck for two years, it would be traded -in with a dealer for a new truck, minimising the risk of having to buy expensive spare parts. Although they agreed that a separate bank account would be established for the truck's operations, the son later decided that, because of the difficulty in opening a new bank account, the truck's daily takings would instead be paid into his wife's bank account.

Soon after the truck commenced carrying passengers and garden produce to town it became clear that the high number of "free-riders" was reducing the projected takings of the venture. The worst offenders were close family members who refused to pay the required fare. My friend later discovered that three branches of his extended family thought that he should have bought a truck for each of them, so they had no intention of paying to travel on his truck.

The financial viability of the truck was also threatened by the refusal of individuals and organisations to pay for the hire of the truck for charters. Instead of insisting that the required charter fee be paid in advance, invoices were issued after the charter was completed, but these were rarely honoured. Threats of legal action to recoup the charter fee from non-payers were generally ignored. About two years after the truck commenced operations, the poor condition of the unsealed road to town began to take its toll on the wear of the truck's tyres and body-work.

Side-mirrors and driving light fixtures were the first to suffer, followed by battery supports, exhaust pipe, mudguards, shock-absorbers and springs. The local dealer from whom the truck had been bought held very few spare parts in stock, and long delays were experienced in receiving spare parts that were ordered from other truck dealerships within Papua New Guinea.

Despite the agreement that my friend would be kept informed about the PMV's finances, these details were rarely supplied. In fact, word filtered back to him that much of each day's takings was being spent on alcohol and personal items, fuelling family conflicts. The agreement that the truck would be traded-in to buy a new truck was ignored and instead the profits from the first truck were used to buy a second-hand three-tonne truck, in worse condition than the original truck.

The condition of both trucks deteriorated steadily for the next few years, to the point where they both became un-roadworthy and were sold cheaply to other PMV operators needing spare parts. At present there is only one registered three-tonne truck operating as a PMV in our village, so people are finding it difficult to travel to town to sell their produce and conduct other business.

The dirt road to town is in worse condition than it was in 2009, threatening the operations of the existing truck, whose owner regularly complains to me about the difficulty of obtaining spare parts from the dealer in town. When people suggest to me that I should buy a new truck to address the village's road transport shortfall, I remember my friend's unfortunate experience and politely change the subject.

Why I don't want to operate a Passenger Motor Vehicle

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