With just a day to Christmas, Mbarara City Taxi Park is teeming with travelers eager to head to Ntungamo, Kabale, Bushenyi, and other parts of western Uganda.
However, the holiday rush has come at a steep price, with transport fares skyrocketing to unprecedented levels.
Passengers are now paying Shs20,000 for a trip to Bushenyi, up from Shs8,000 before the festive season. Similarly, a journey to Rukungiri now costs Shs30,000, more than double the pre-Christmas fare of Shs13,000.
Longer routes like Mbarara to Fort Portal have seen fares jump from Shs25,000 to Shs40,000, while those traveling to Kisoro are paying a hefty Shs60,000.
The sudden fare hikes have left many travelers struggling to cope.
“I had saved Shs40,000 for transport to and from Ibanda, but now I can only afford a few necessities and a one-way trip,” lamented Diana Tumushabe, a resident of Mbarara.
She added that the increases have disrupted her plans to celebrate Christmas with her extended family.
Taxi operators, however, attribute the price surges partly to overwhelming passenger demand.
“This is our busiest time of the year, and we are left with no option but to raise fares,” explained Ronald, a driver.
The impact of the fare hikes extends beyond passengers to small-scale traders, many of whom rely on public transport to distribute goods during the holiday season.
Traders moving fresh produce to rural markets are now forced to spend significantly more on transport, cutting into their already slim profit margins.
Some are passing the extra costs onto consumers, raising concerns about food prices in local markets.