With only a couple of days to Christmas Day, transport operators as is the norm have hiked fares for travelers leaving Kampala headed for the countryside.
At the various parks, in and around the central business district congestion was growing by the minute on Thursday morning as people rushed to catch the next bus back home, while others scrambled to purchase different items in the busy shops for the festivities.
Transport fares to the Eastern region, Western region, the Northern part of the country and some parts of Central region have been slightly increased due to the overwhelming number of passengers competing for the limited transport means available.
Drivers and other players in the transport sector have based the hiking of these fees to lack of
passengers returning to town as well as the traffic jam that requires them to use more fuel than in normal days.
“We don’t increase fares in bad faith or to earn much but we are doing this sustain our jobs therefore nobody should think thank we are reaping abnormal profits in the sector. Compared to the past seasons this time people look to be poor,” Hassan, a driver on Fort portal stage new taxi park remarked.
Fares have also slightly gone up in the taxi parks
Western route is one of the routes with a very high number of passengers whereby in New Taxi Park the fares have greatly changed.
Kampala to Lyantonde has shot from 15000 to 25000, Kampala to Rushere and Kazo from 25000 to 35000 Shillings.
Buses heading to Mbarara charge Shs 40,000; Kampala to Kabale has gone up from 20,000 to 40,000 Shillings, Kampala to Kabale from 20,000 to 40,000shs, whereas Fort portal has risen from 22000 to 35000 shillings.
From Kampala to Mbale it is now 15000 Shillings on Y.Y Coaches and 25000 on coasters and other buses. On the Kampala Lira route one needs 25000shs well as Kampala to Soroti its 20,000shs.
From Kampala to Kyotera by taxi, the fares have risen from 15000 to 20,000shs, Kampala to Masaka from 12000 to 15000, Kampala to Sembabule from 15000 to 20,000 shillings.
From Kampala to Kiboga it’s up to 15000 from 10000, Kampala to Bukomero from 7000 to 12000shs and Kampala to Gomba from 10,000 to 15000shs.
Kampala to Bulo Butambala it was 8000 now it’s 12000shs Kampala to Jinja it has been 5000 but currently it ranges between 8000 and 10,000, Kampala to Bugiri Iganga from 8000 to
12000shs.
In this situation, a number of buses and coasters belonging to various education institutions have joined the other public transport means in ferrying passengers to various locations but still the demand is high on some routes.