Transporters in Fort Portal reduce fares

Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Public transport operators in Fort Portal tourism city have reduced the transport fares as public transport resumed to full capacity.

Buses and taxis have been carrying half capacity to ensure physical distancing to contain the spread of COVID-19. This forced the transporters to hike the fares to compensate for the empty seats as they comply with the COVID-19 preventive measures.

Last week while addressing the nation, the President allowed taxis and buses to carry full capacity of passengers as long as they wear masks and are vaccinated against Covid-19.

According to Frank Nyakahuma, a leader at Bundibugyo taxi park stage in Kisenyi, transport fares from Fort Portal-Bundibugyo have been reduced from 15,000 to 10,000 Shillings, Fort Portal-Ntoroko from 20,000 to 10,000 shillings.

Transport from Fort Portal-Kasese which was 15,000 Shillings has reduced to 10,000 Shillings, Fort Portal-Mbarara is 30,000 from 50,000 Shillings.

Solomon Sunday, a taxi driver at Nyakaseske park says much as the prices have gone down, they are still facing tough times with the increasing prices of fuel.

Link Bus company has also reduced the fares from Fort Portal to Kampala. Initially, the fare was 50,000 but it is now 35,000 Shillings.

However, Bernard Kandole and Patrick Mugisa, all leaders at the Nyakaseke taxi park, have failed to enforce the Standard Operating Procedures among the passengers. Mugisa says that passengers deliberately don’t want to wear masks while others do not have vaccination cards.

Joab Kizza, a frequent traveler from Fort Portal to Mbarara says that the reduction of the fares is a good gesture by the transporters. He says that it would be unfair to maintain the fares when parents are preparing children to return to school. He however says that some taxi operators are carrying excess passengers, putting their lives at risk.

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