Sudan Transport Union Lifts Fares as Fuel Costs Soar

The Sudanese Transport Chambers Union raised public transport fares this month, with intercity bus prices up 40% and minibus rates up 30%.

The fare increases followed a sharp rise in fuel prices and severe scarcity that has disrupted daily life in major cities. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began on April 15, 2023. Attacks on the Balila oil field disrupted supplies to the Khartoum refinery, which previously met about 60% of national demand for petrol and liquefied petroleum gas. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum estimated war-related losses at $20 billion last year. The United Nations Development Programme reports that average incomes have fallen to levels last seen in the 1990s.

In Port Sudan, Azhari Mohamed, a 60-year-old minibus driver, works seven round trips daily between Shagar and the city center. His vehicle consumes three gallons of petrol, costing roughly 105,000 Sudanese pounds. Due to shortages, he works two days and spends a third waiting in line, with some waits exceeding five hours. After covering operating costs, he retains about 50,000 pounds daily to support his family. A gallon of petrol costs 35,000 pounds in Port Sudan and 40,000 pounds in Gazira State. Mohamed stated, "We just need fuel to be available so we can work."

Passengers face higher costs that affect their ability to work. Aziza Ibrahim, a 38-year-old cleaner in Port Sudan, has reduced her work to three days a week to manage travel expenses. Her round-trip commute costs 11,000 pounds daily, nearly half of her 400,000-pound monthly salary. She sometimes borrows money for transport and repays it upon receiving her wages. In Omdurman, trader Ahmed al-Haj reported that moving a tonne of goods has increased in cost by 30 to 50 percent. Local delivery fees have doubled from 5,000 pounds to between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds.

Economic analyst Sidi Ohaj noted that government rules requiring importers to deposit 200 kilograms of gold in the Central Bank and own storage facilities have reduced the number of active importers. This has lowered supply relative to demand. The government is scheduled to ease import procedures urgently, according to Ohaj. Global energy markets remain disrupted by the war between the United States and Iran, affecting prices for gas, petrol, and diesel.