Bus fares to return to normal

KAMPALA - Following reports that Uganda had yesterday received enough fuel supplies, Jaguar Bus Services announced that they would reduce their transport fares from Frw15000 (Ug.shs30, 000 ) to the normal charges. Previously, the transport charged between Frw5000 (Ug.shs 15, 000) and Frw7000 (Ug.shs.25, 000) for a one-way ticket from Kigali to Kampala or vise versa.But the fares were doubled last week following a fuel shortage their hit Uganda in the aftermath of the post-election violence in neighbouring Kenya. In response to the shortages and black market exorbitant prices, Jaguar introduced the higher new fares on January 2 but a company official said yesterday everything would get back to normal. He said: “Right now some petrol stations have got the fuel and others have gone to the depot to collect it. No petrol station has reduced the prices yet but we speculate prices will be reduced tommorrow. As soon as they reduce the prices, autamatically expect our charges fall.” This follows reports that at least 100 trucks of petroleum products had reached Uganda on Saturday and more were released after being stuck at various Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) depots in the western Kenya because of the post-election violent protests. The official from Jaguar explained further that they had no choice but to increase the bus fares because the cost of fuel had increased enormously throughout Uganda last weekHe however noted that due to limitations of transport, the increment in the bus fares did not affect the demand for Jaguar buses. “People are still booking to travel with us despite the high transport cost because they must still carry out their businesses,” he added. However, Onatracom Bus services who are also in the same business never increased their charges on the Kampala-Kigali route, remaining Frw 5000.“We have also been affected by the fuel crisis but we didn’t increase our fares because we had reserves,” an official from Onatracom based in Kampala, explained yesterday. Ends

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Bus fares to return to normal