As Ugandans anxiously anticipate the re-opening of public transport scheduled for Thursday 4th June 2020, Bus companies have also revised transport fares upwards
On Monday night, President, Yoweri Museveni announced a resumption of Public transport on condition that each passenger vehicle carries half of its capacity to ensure physical distancing and maintains Standard Operating Procedures SOPs.
Among the SOPSs include all aboard a vehicle possess facemasks, the transporters provide temperature guns to measure the body temperature, sanitizers, or water for washing hands be made available.
These factors have prompted Bus operators to double and some more than double their transport fares effective when transportation resumes.
The revised range of fares for those looking to travel upcountry and vice verse is between Shillings 10,000 and 20,000.
YY Coaches released a statement on Tuesday indicating an increase of 10.000 for travelers plying the Eastern route from Kampala.
it reads that Mbale, Bukedea and Kachumbala have increased from Shillings 20,000 to Shillings 30,000.
Kampala to Soroti – Shillings 25,000 to Shillings 35,000 while Kampala to Otuboi sh30,000 to Shillings 40,000, Kampala to Dokolo, Lwala, Agwata Shillings 40,000 Kampala to Lira through Soroti is shillings 45,000.
Emma Wabwire, the Operations Manager YY Coaches and Couriers Services, says the fair increment is as result of a directive by the president to carry half of their capacity.
Jude Tumwine, the Manager Global buses plying the western route, says they have also revised their fares upwards from Kampala to Mbarara from Shs 15,000 to Shs 40,000 regardless of where one stops.
Meanwhile, Swift Safaris, moving from Kampala- Mbarara and Kampala-Ishaka routes, has also revised its fares from Shillings 20,000 and 30,000 to Shillings 35,000 and 45,000 respectively.
As for Bus companies that ply border districts like Baby Coaches, GateWay buses, Trinity and Jaguar have not yet expressed any hope of returning on the road soon.
