KIGALI - Public transport fares in Kigali City and up country increased to about 20 percent since yesterday.
The increment has been attributed to the high prices of petroleum products and spare parts.

Speaking to The New Times yesterday, the president of commuters’ association (ATRACO) Col (Rtd) Ludovic Twahirwa said that the constant rising of petroleum products and spare parts was the main cause of the increase.

The increment follows negotiations that have been going on between transporters and the government, through the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA).

"Taxi operators have not been doing well of late due to the rising prices of petroleum products and spare parts most especially car tyres whose prices have been shooting up,” Twahirwa said yesterday.

He added that the rising transport fares had also affected taxis and buses going to the county side.       

According to the vice president of ATRACO Issa Ngeze, transport fares around the city have increased by Rwf20.

"The fares have increased by Rwf20 around the city whereby where it has been costing Rwf100 will be Rwf120, where it has been costing Rwf150 will be 170 and so on…,” said Ngeze.

Asked whether the prices were expected to continue rising, Ngeze said that he was optimistic that prices would remain stable.

"You remember last year, transport fares had gone up due to fuel, but when fuel prices reduced, we also reduced the transport fares, so I think this would be the case again.”

Last month it had been speculated that transport fares could go up by 100 percent due to the high prices of spare parts, but the RURA officials had assured people that they would only allow a reasonable increment.

Some passengers who spoke to The New Times at the Remera taxi park yesterday morning sounded worried that though the increment was minimal, they would soon go beyond that.

"The increment is not so alarming, but if fuel prices continue to go up, I fear that the fares could be increased which would be a problem to us,” said Andrew Rwirahira whom this paper intercepted at the park.

"This is going to be a problem to us people who travel a lot around the city because even if Rwf20 looks to be little, it is going to affect our pockets,” lamented Joyeuse Uwanyirigira another passenger.

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