Govt gives public transport service fares the green light
Vehicles in the Old Taxi Park in Kampala yesterday. Operators have increased fares for all trips due to rising fuel prices. PHOTO / ABUBAKER LUBOWA.
What you need to know:
- In a statement released on Thursday, junior Works and Transport minister Fred Byamukama revealed that the government has “reviewed the fares presented to them and approved a fare increment range of between Shs500 and Shs5000, depending on the trip distance.”
The Ministry of Works and Transport has approved new public transport service fares for taxi operators in the country.
In a statement released on Thursday, junior Works and Transport minister Fred Byamukama revealed that the government has “reviewed the fares presented to them and approved a fare increment range of between Shs500 and Shs5000, depending on the trip distance.”
The Works and Transport ministry, as well as taxi operators, consented to increments of Shs500 for trips within the city boundaries.
Trips beyond 35kms will attract a Shs1,000 increment; Shs2,000 for trips between 40kms and 100km.
Elsewhere, trips stretching beyond 130kms will attract an increment of Shs3,000 and Shs5,000 for those straddling more than 140km.
After the Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators (Futo) presented the revised public transport service fares to the Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Byamukama was quick to state that “the public transporter has agreed to lower the fares once the fuel prices stabilises.”
A litre of diesel, which most public service vehicles use, now retails at an average Shs5,000.
The pump price for petrol long breached the Shs5,000 mark.
The Works and Transport ministry says it will continue to monitor the fares to ensure future increments—if any—are not exploitative.
This comes after Futo approved increments sensitive to current inflationary pressures following a meeting on Thursday this past week.
“We had thought of increasing the fare starting next week, but members decided that it should be effected starting Friday,” Mr Rashid Mugenyi Ssekandi, the Futo chairperson, revealed.
Mr Ssekandi said they were left with no option after the government ruled out providing fuel subsidies.
Passengers speak out
Several passengers Sunday Monitor spoke to have unsurprisingly greeted the increments with apprehension.
They, however, also acknowledged an inevitability about the final outcome. Mr Hassan Ssegalya, a commuter, said currently, there are few passengers travelling and, therefore, increasing transport fares will worsen the situation since people don’t have money.’
“With the current prices of fuel, increasing transport fare was bound to happen, but the government should come out as early as possible to intervene before the situation goes out of hand,” he said.
Mr Ronald Mugisha, another commuter, said increasing transport fares will affect cash-strapped passengers.
“The government must come up with a solution to the rapid increase in prices of not only fuel but also other commodities because generally, we are in a bad state. We are going to resort to walking like we did during the first [lockdown],” he said.
