Transport operators reduce fares as number of passengers drops
Buses parked at Kisenyi Bus Terminal yesterday. Bus operators have reduced transport fares that they had raised on all major routes due to low numbers of passengers. PHOTO/ALEX ESAGALA
Bus operators have reduced transport fares that they had increased on all major routes anticipating huge numbers of passengers travelling to the countryside to celebrate the festive season.
Transport operators we spoke to yesterday said the numbers of passengers had picked up last week and they doubled fares on all major roads only to drop drastically since Monday.
Mr Robert Mutebi, the secretary of United Bus Owners Association (UBOA), said this is the worst festive season for the transport industry he had seen in years.
“We thought that we would recover in this season after a terrible year that was punctured by a long lockdown due to control of the spread of coronavirus and drop of passenger traffic. The passenger traffic has continued to drop, instead,” Mr Mutebi said yesterday.
The Ministry of Health has asked the public not to travel upcountry for fear that they would spread coronavirus to their ageing parents, who are the most vulnerable group.
Given the drop in the passenger numbers, it appears many people haven’t travelled to the villages.
Public service vehicles are carrying half of passengers to allow social distancing to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Daily Monitor tour of all major bus terminals in Kampala City showed that there were very few passengers and many buses were parked.
The Christmas and end of year festive season is often the busiest period for the transport operators in Uganda. They often double or triple fares.
At Kisenyi Terminal, Mr Eriasa Mugisha, a transport operator for Kingo Coaches, said they have decided not to load their bus to Ishaka in Bushenyi District.
“The Swift Coach that was supposed to load before us has taken three hours to get 33 passengers and its conductors haven’t yet got the required number. It is now 3pm. We can’t load because we will not make it,” Mr Mugisha said.
Last month, it would take them 30 minutes or less to get the required number of passengers. They were charging a passenger from Kampala City travelling to Mbarara Shs30,000 while Shs40,000 for a travellers going to Ishaka since the government eased public transport.
Last week, they had increased the fares to Shs80,000 and Shs70,000 to Ishaka and Mbarara, respectively when passenger traffic started picking up. However, they slashed the fares back to those they were charging last month after the drop of passengers on Monday.
Mr Derrick Mwesigwa, an operator for Swift Coaches, said the panic travel by passengers to the rural areas ceased when the government informed the public on Sunday that there wasn’t going to be another lock down.
Mr James Ogwal, the manager of YY Coaches at Namayiba Bus Terminal, said all routes to the northern region haven’t got the passengers they want.
