Bus fares skyrocket ahead of Christmas, but YY coaches maintain rates for every route

As people massively return to the countryside to celebrate the festive season, hence transport fares from Kampala city to respective destinations have skyrocketed.

However, in the midst of the fares shooting up, YY coaches have chosen to charge the same rates as have been before the festive season.

In a statement on social media, the management of YY indicated that they have no plans on raising fares to impact customers that have supported them even in ‘hard times’.

“Hello YY family, we thank you for your unending love for our services we still encourage you to come in big numbers and travel by the best bus company, we have just enough buses to take you home, don't forget to take care of your personal effects and our fares have not changed because you have been with us in those hard times, so this is the right time for us to give back to you,” the statement reads in part.

The buses ply the routes of Arua, Lira, Soroti and Mbale which have maintained rates at Shs35000 for Arua, Shs25000 Lira via Karuma, and Shs35000 via Soroti through to Lira.

According to the NewVision, several bus companies have increased fares to different routes which they ply.

Fares on the Western route have seen daily increment head of Christmas. For instance, Kampala -Mbarara went up from 30,000 to Shillings 40,000 shillings while Kampala to Kabale soared from Shillings 50,000 to 80,000.

At Gateway Bus Company in Bakuli Bus Terminal plying the Kampala–Mbarara route, passengers are paying Sh30, 000 and coming back is Sh20, 000.

While at Kisenyi Bus Terminal, Link Buses were charging passengers traveling to Kabarole District Sh40, 000 from the normal charges of Sh25, 000.

And those traveling to Bundibugyo district by the same bus company paid Sh45, 000, up from Shs30, 000. Passengers heading to Kasese were paying Shs40, 000.

Passengers traveling from Kampala city to Ibanda district are being charged between Sh40000 and Sh50000 from the normal Sh25, 000 by Ibabu Coaches.

Kampala to Rukungiri Sh40, 000, from Sh35, 000; Kampala to Kabale from Sh35, 000 to nearly Sh65,000 with operators citing few customers and few vehicles on the route.

Kampala to Masindi is now at Sh25,000 up from Sh20,000; Kampala, Mbarara to Ishaka, Bushenyi Sh35,000, Mbarara to Bwindi fluctuating between Shillings Sh65,000 and 70,000.