Travellers stranded as taxi, bus fares hit the roof citing Easter holiday

Travellers are forking out more in fares as bus operators have more than doubled their prices.

Those mostly affected are those plying western routes because unlike the eastern and northern routes, there are relatively more people travelling to western Uganda for the Easter holidays.

At Kisenyi Bus Terminal, which serves the western route, there is even a scramble for buses to various destinations. The Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Ntungamo-Kabale-Kisoro route appears to be the busiest.

The fare to Mbarara has doubled from 15,000 shillings to 30,000 shillings.

Travel to Bushenyi is going for 40,000 shillings, up from 20,000 shillings. Rukungiri is at 50,000 shillings, Kisoro at 70,000 shillings, Kabale at 50,000 shillings, Hoima at 30,000 shillings, amongst others.

Craish Mugerwa, a tout, says there is a likelihood of the number of travellers increasing later in the day yet there are now few buses remaining.

The bus terminal is indeed a beehive of activity as passengers snap up seats.

Collins Ian Rutebemberwa, a clerk with Kibungo Coaches, which goes to Bushenyi-Ishaka, says since six o'clock they have dispatched four buses.

Rutebemberwa says bus operators like Baby Coach, Perfect and Swift have also dispatched many buses, despite the fares going up.

Other buses on the western routes benefitting from the hike in transport fares are Swift, Global, Link, Perfect, Kkingo, Bismarckan, Savana, Kasaba, Crane and Hoima.

Meanwhile transport fares on eastern and northern routes have not changed, with actually fewer people travelling from Kampala for Easter celebrations.

The fare to Arua is unchanged at 35,000 shillings, Paidha, Nebbi and Pakwach at 30,000 shillings, Koboko at 40,000 shillings, Gulu and Lira at 20,000 shillings, Soroti at 20,000 shillings, and Mbale at 15,000 shillings.