NORTHERN BUS OPERATORS RAISE FARES AS FUEL COSTS BITE

Nile post

Passengers travelling from Lira, Apac, Aduku and other towns to Kampala are paying higher fares following a fuel-driven increase announced by northern transport operators, effective November 1.

Bus operators in Northern Uganda have increased transport fares following a rise in fuel prices, forcing passengers travelling from Lira, Apac, Aduku and other towns to pay more from November 1.

The revised fares, announced by the United Bus Owners Association (Northern), affect several routes connecting the region to Kampala.

The operators say the increases followed consultations between bus owners and leaders of taxi associations over the rising cost of doing business.

Bernard Anyeko Masango, spokesperson for the Northern Uganda Drivers and Transport Network Association, an umbrella organisation representing transport operators in West Nile, Lango, Acholi and Karamoja, said the decision was reached during a meeting of transport stakeholders.

He said the adjustment was necessary to cushion operators against rising fuel prices and other operational expenses.

“We have had wide consultations with the vehicle owners and leaders of some taxi associations. The resolution was that we add some money to the existing fares because of the current fuel prices and the situation in the transport industry,” Mr Masango said.

Under the new rates, passengers travelling from Lira to Kampala will pay Shs50,000 for executive buses and Shs40,000 for ordinary services. Those travelling from Apac will pay Shs60,000 and Shs50,000, respectively.

Passengers boarding from Aduku will pay Shs50,000 for executive buses and Shs45,000 for ordinary services, while those travelling from Kamdini and Karuma will pay Shs35,000.

Fares from Bweyale and Kigumba have been set at Shs30,000.

Mr Masango said the increases would be reviewed if fuel prices decline, promising that operators would convene another meeting to consider reducing fares.

“When the price of fuel drops, definitely we are going to hold an immediate meeting and reduce our transport fares. That is what we are going to do,” he said.

Operators attribute the fare adjustments to rising fuel prices, as well as higher costs of vehicle spare parts and tyres.

Jimmy Agong, a taxi driver operating on the Lira-Elegu route, said the cost of fuelling a vehicle for a return journey had risen from about Shs330,000 to Shs480,000.

He said a litre of fuel was selling at about Shs7,200, making it increasingly difficult for drivers to cover operational costs while maintaining the previous fares.

“Before the fuel prices increased, we would spend about Shs330,000 to fuel the vehicle for a journey to Elegu and back. But now, it takes about Shs480,000, which is almost Shs500,000,” Mr Agong said.

He added that the rising cost of tyres and other spare parts had further squeezed drivers’ earnings.

The poor condition of the Gulu-Elegu road had compounded their challenges, he said, with drivers frequently replacing tyres damaged by the rough road.

Mr Agong said the combination of high fuel costs, expensive spare parts and poor road conditions had left some drivers struggling to make a profit.

“Sometimes when we drive and come back, we balance with nothing. You cannot even give the boss a single coin, yet the fuel debts remain,” he said.

Dennis Okwir, manager of Real Coach Bus Services in Lira, said bus operators had been operating at a loss over the past three months because of rising fuel expenses.

He said the company was buying fuel at about Shs7,150 per litre, with a bus requiring approximately Shs2 million worth of fuel.

Mr Okwir said a fully occupied bus carrying 65 passengers at the previous ordinary fare of Shs30,000 would collect Shs1.95 million, which was insufficient to cover fuel costs alone.

At the revised ordinary fare of Shs40,000, the same bus would collect Shs2.6 million when full, leaving operators with some money to meet other expenses, including workers’ wages and maintenance.

“Passengers, you bear with us. It is not our willingness. It is the effect of fuel. That is why we have increased the price,” Mr Okwir said.

He commended bus operators, including YY Coaches, Real Coach, Felista, Comfort and HMK, for supporting the fare adjustment, saying it had provided some relief to their businesses.

The revised fares took effect on November 1 and will remain in force until further notice, according to the notice issued by the United Bus Owners Association (Northern).

Written by newsroom-radiopacis