Passengers demand fixed transport fares as Christmas nears

Kampala

The government should fix transport fares to up-country areas as Christmas and New Year draws near, passengers have demanded. Lavinia Tuhimbise, a traveller to Mbarara, arrived at the park in Kampala with Shs10,000, only to learn that the fare is now at Shs25,000.

Stranded, she pleaded with the bus operators to allow her travel home for Christmas but it was in vain. “I blame all this on the government,” she said. “They have not helped us. That is why these bus operators are setting their own price. The government should fix a price because there is no need to increase the fares just for Christmas. I will just bargain with them and see if they will allow me to travel.”

However, Mr Moses Barigye, a conductor for Endigyito bus, said they raised the fares because of the high number of travellers. “It is all about demand and supply. The buses are few and people are many. When people come in large numbers, we increase immediately. We can even set it at Shs30,000,” said Mr Barigye, who charges Shs25,000 to Ibanda, up from the usual Shs20,000.

Students who are going home for holidays are also feeling the pinch of the high transport costs. Mercy Amito went to the park with Shs20,000 to travel to Gulu, but the fare had been increased to Shs25,000. “It is unfair. You come from school and you find the transport due has been raised. What do they want us to do in case we have fixed amount of money?” she wondered.
Transport fares to Kisiizi is the most costly now and has more than doubled. Passengers have to pay Shs40,000 up from Shs15,000.

However, Ms Suzan Kataike, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, said the ministry does not encourage the increase in transport fares.
“I did not know about that. We have to handle it tomorrow [today] but that is unacceptable,” she said. But according to bus operators, the prices will continue to rise and December 20 has been set as a date when the prices will be raised even higher.
“We have not made profit. People are not travelling but we hope to increase by December 20 by Shs5,000,” said Mr Elijah Mwesigwa, the manager of Kasaba buses that ply the Mbarara route.

Transport fare to Mbarara is now at Shs20,000 up from the Shs15,000. Those boarding buses from Qualicel Bus Terminal to Rukungiri are paying Shs25,000 up from Shs20,000. Buses that load from Uganda Bus Terminal to Rukungiri have doubled the transport dues from Shs15,000 to Shs30,000. But passengers, most of whom know about the price changes after reaching the park, said the price increase is uncalled for. “This is unfair. I thought it would be at Shs15,000. This is cheating. I had not planned to spend all that money,” said Mr Patrick Agaba, who was planning to travel to Rukungiri.

Mr Twaib Kamoga, a Kyotera stage manager, blames the increase on the new traffic regulations, which he says have forced them to look for ways of redeeming the costs they incur in operating the buses. “We are not allowed to make return journeys yet fuel and tyres are expensive. We can neither take excess passengers nor pick them along the way because traffic police officers are everywhere. There is no way we can help our people, they just have to bear with the new prices,” he said.

Transport costs to Jinja, Mbale, Busia, and Mubende have remained the same but the operators say they are waiting for Christmas Day to draw nearer then they will increase the fares. “We have not increased because there is no demand. We hope to increase by December 20,” said Mr Bogere Muzamilu, a ticketing manager at Mbale stage at Qualicel Bus Terminal.