Sudan Transit Fares Rise 40% as Fuel Lines Stretch to Five Hours
A transport union hike hits workers like Azhari Mohamed, who now earns $5.40 a day after waiting in line for fuel.
By Alexander Novak ·
Sudan’s public transport costs have jumped sharply this month as a severe fuel shortage forces the industry to absorb rising expenses.
Sudan’s Transport Chambers Union increased intercity bus fares by 40% and minibus fares by 30% in October.
Drivers are facing longer waits and lower net earnings. Azhari Mohamed, a 60-year-old minibus driver in Port Sudan, works seven round trips daily between the Shagar neighborhood and the city center.
He burns 11 liters of petrol per day, costing 105,000 Sudanese pounds at the parallel-market rate. Due to scarcity, he works two days and spends a third waiting in line, with single waits exceeding five hours. After covering operating costs, he retains approximately 50,000 pounds, or $5.40, to support his family.
Passengers are reducing work hours to manage the new travel expenses. Aziza Ibrahim, a 38-year-old cleaner in Port Sudan, now works three days a week instead of five.
Her daily round trip to the city center costs 11,000 pounds, which consumes nearly half of her 400,000-pound monthly salary. She sometimes borrows money to reach work and repays the debt upon receiving her paycheck.
The fuel crisis stems from war-related disruptions and strict import rules. The United Nations Development Programme states that average incomes in Sudan have fallen to levels last seen in the 1990s. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began on April 15, 2023, causing $20 billion in energy sector losses last year.
Attacks on the Balila oil field disrupted supplies to the Khartoum refinery, which previously met 60% of national petrol and liquefied petroleum gas demand. Economic analyst Sidi Ohaj noted that government requirements for importers, including a 200kg gold deposit, reduced supply. He added that the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran is further disrupting global energy markets. In Omdurman, trader Ahmed al-Haj reported that the cost of moving one tonne of goods has increased by 30% to 50%, forcing him to pass these costs onto customers.
Source: Al Jazeera
