Quito hit by bus drivers' strike

The Ecuadorian capital, Quito, has been hit by a bus drivers' strike in protest over Wednesday's court decision to suspend transport fare increases of up to seventy-five percent.

They're arguing that increased fuel costs -- introduced by the government last week in an attempt to meet economic targets set by the International Monetary Fund -- are making the fare hikes necessary.

The director for urban tranport in the province of Pinchicha, which covers the capital Quito, Jorge Yanez, says the drivers will maintain their strike until the suspension order is lifted. There've been demonstrations against the sharp rise in prices across several major cities this week, and the main trade unions say they are planning further action.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service