Outrage over fuel hike as Coast PSV operators announce hike in fares
By Harrison.Kivisu, July 3, 2023Public transport operators at the Coast have vowed to hike fares in the wake of fuel price as declared by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
Matatu Owners Association (MOA) Coast Region Coordinator Salim Mbarak said they will be forced to hike fares later this week to compensate for increase in pump prices.
The players have convened a meeting on Wednesday to determine the new rates per route as they also await the determination by the court following the recent case presented by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah.
“We are planning to hold a meeting with all Saccos to plan ahead, because it is a collective responsibility. We are also waiting the court decision before we stand in one voice, but obvious we will not hurt so much our customers because we know what they are economically going through,” said Mbarak.
A spot-check by People Daily in Mombasa have petrol is retailing at Sh192 up from Sh179 when EPRA announced new fuel prices.
“We will have no option, because we cannot operate under a loss, but again this must be agreed by all players to avoid taking advantage of already suffering customers,” Barak said yesterday.
At Hola Energy petrol station in Mombasa along the Mombasa-Malindi Highway, unleaded super was going for Sh192 per litre. Most motorists have protested the new prices, terming them exorbitant.
The move has irked taxi operators, who are now threatening to boycott some of the foreign online APPs because they have failed to adjust their rates in accordance with Kenya’s inflation. Most of them are now opting for local APPs like YEGO which they say are offering good rates.
“We are getting nothing from these foreign online applications. They have not adjusted the current rates even after the government increased fuel. We will have no option than to also adjust to applications that favour the current economy status,” a taxi operator who sought anonymity said.
A private car owner, Victoria Debora, said the burden of high cost of fuel is unbearable, terming it as an illegality for EPRA to defy a court order.
“We are paying Sh13 more. We are feeling the pain. This is now becoming unbearable,” Debora noted, and asked the government to review the fuel prices so as to ease the burden on Kenyans.
Most of the matatus operating the Mombasa-Nyali route are still charging the normal prices of Sh70 but starting this week, they have vowed to increase fares to make them stay afloat.
“We are still charging the normal fares for now but we will increase fares starting this week because we are going home with nothing, “said Mathew Njuguna, one of the matatu plying the Nyali-Mwembe yari route.