Government should reduce high transport fares

Uganda’s annual Headline Inflation in July rose to 4.7 per cent - the highest since October 2017 – up from 4.1 per cent in June despite a drop in prices of food items.
As the economy emerges from the near standstill due to coronavirus lockdown, transport fares remain very high. In most cases, transport fares have more than doubled for both short and long distance travellers.

This is due to social distancing measure where transporters are required to carry half passenger capacity. Many of the commuter taxis and buses claim they must make up for losses since they are now operating at 50 per cent capacity.

Some people have resorted to walking to and from their places of work just to save something instead of boarding a taxi and you are left with nothing in the pocket.

In other cases, Ugandans are paying more for consumer goods and services than what they used to pay before outbreak of Covid-19.

According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, movement of people (transport services inflation) jumped to 47.3 per cent for the year ending July 2020, up from a 34.2 per cent recorded for June 2020.

Travellers must now decide whether to dig deeper into their pockets or forego movement altogether in order to retain some cash for their basic needs.

As economic activities resume, it is only fair that transport fares are relaxed to facilitate mobility. It is, therefore, time for government to find a lasting solution to the high transport fares.

As many businesses were forced to shut down during the lockdown, several people lost their jobs while others who still have a job trying to cope with salary cuts.

Considering that several were rendered redundant due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are stuck in their homes, it is only prudent that government finds a way of offering subsidies to transporters such that they drop the fares they charge.

While public transporters must observe strict health measures to limit the spread of coronavirus, they should also discuss with government and find a middle ground on how they can reduce transport fares that is curtailing movement. Reduced transport fares will help transporters to recover passenger number to boost their revenue for better operators.

Indirect subsidies in form of discounted fuel coupons to the transporters’ association, for instance, would go a long way in bringing down the cost of public transport, which is considered the anchor of Uganda’s transport system.

Although the public transport sector faces many challenges, there are also a wide range of opportunities to take advantage of and change how things are done for greater efficiency of operations while limiting the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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