Kenyans traveling to their villages in upcountry will have to dig deeper into their pockets during the festive season after long-distance public service vehicles hiked fares owing to the high demands.
A quick spot-check by Kenyans.co.ke shows that Western Kenya-bound buses have hiked fares from Ksh800 to a maximum of Ksh3,500 per person.
Major long-distance buses on Nairobi - Kisumu, Nairobi - Busia, Nairobi - Homa Bay and Nairobi - Kakamega routes all recorded increased fares.
"The fares are around Ksh1,200 for ordinary passengers and Ksh3,500 for those who prefer VIP treatments," an assistant at one of the bus companies explained.
The fares are summarised as follows:
Nairobi - Homa Bay = KES 3,500 - VIP/Business
Nairobi - Mombasa = KES 3,500 - VIP/Business
Nairobi - Kisumu = 3,000 - VIP/Business
Nairobi - Busia = 3,500 - VIP/Business
Nairobi - Meru = 3,500 - VIP/Business
Nairobi - Kakamega = 2,000 - VIP/Business
At the same time, fare rates for Meru County-bound buses increased from Ksh800 for common passengers to Ksh3,500, which is ordinarily the maximum amount payable by business or VIP class passengers.
"The fares have significantly increased due to high demand coupled with slow transportation as a result of heavy traffic jams," bus management explained.
According to the bus services, most long-distance vehicles are not able to do a full trip in a day.
Ordinarily, the long-distance bus drivers would make a full to-and-fro trip hence making the public service companies to make more money in the process.
It was reported that some drivers spent the night on the road after major traffic snarl-ups on major roads leading to upcountry.
The National Police Service Spokesperson Dr. Resila Onyango on Friday, December 23, noted that officers have been recalled from holiday in order to respond to the security concerns during this festive season.
"Motorists have been asked to observe traffic rules and laws in order for them to make the work easier for everyone on the road," she noted.
Major roads to the upcountry are reportedly jam-packed since Friday, December 23, as city dwellers travelled home for Christmas and New Year festivities.
