Transport fares stable ahead of festive season

Unlike last year's festive season when transport fares to upcountry destinations increased in the first week of December, this time round they are stable.

Since December started, many city dwellers are using the opportunity of stable fares to travel to the countryside before charges rise.

Transport charges to routes outside Uganda like Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and others are also not hiked as yet. 

A bus ticket of Kampala - Kigali (Rwanda) costs only sh40, 000; Kampala -Bujumbura (Burundi) costs only sh60, 000 and sh45, 000 for Kampala - Goma in the DRC. 

Transport fares from Kampala to slected upcountry destinations are as follows; Gulu sh25, 000; Lira sh20, 000, Masaka sh10, 000; Tororo sh15, 000, whereas Soroti is sh20,000.

Others are Jinja sh7, 000; Mbale sh15,000 for taxis and sh20, 000 for the bus; Rakai - Mutukura (Uganda - Tanzania border) sh20, 000.

However transport fares to Mbarara and have risen a bit from sh15, 000 to sh20, 000 and sh10, 000 to sh15,000 respectively.

Roger Niwamanya, a bus driver at Kisenyi Bus Terminal said that fewer people travel to Mbarara as Christmas draws closer.

Niwamanya said, "Transport fares are expected to hike by December 22 and more customers are also expected to travel during that time."

Jovia Nalule, a traveler, said it is surprising that fares have not been hiked as yet.