Transport fares for shorter distances decline - UBOS report

TRANSPORT FARES

Transport fares around several areas in the central business district have declined, pulling down Uganda's annual headline inflation to 3.7% in November from 4.5% recorded in the previous months, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has said.

Aliziki Kaudha, the UBOS director macroeconomic statistics, said transport fares for shorter distances dropped by 6% while those for longer distances remain largely unchanged.

She was speaking during the release of the Consumer Price Index, a measure that examines the average prices of a basket of consumer goods and services at UBOS headquarters in Kampala.

The COVID-19 standard operating procedures required for instance, commuter taxi operators to carry half their usual capacity.

However, commuters paid nearly double the price for the same journey to cover the empty seats in the taxis.

Many taxi operators operating shorter distances have eased these prices as most passengers had preferred to walk to and from their destinations.

"Specifically, transport services Inflation declined to 60.4% for the year ending November compared to 64% recorded for the year ended October. In addition, other goods inflation declined to 2.2% for the year ending November," Kaudha said.

Meanwhile, the Annual Energy Fuel and Utilities (EFU) Inflation for the year ending November 2020 declined to by 1.4% compared to the 1.3% registered for the year ended October 2020.

The decrease in EFU was mainly due to Liquid Energy Fuels Inflation that declined to minus 4.8% for the year ending November 2020 same rate recorded for the year ended October 2020.