Players within the public transport sector have noted a lowkey festive season this yr because the movement of passengers stays subdued within the wake of Covid-19.
Transporters have reported low business at a time when traditionally, demand for street transport is at all times high as Kenyans travel upcountry and to the Coast for festivities.
Matatu Owners Association says there’s low passenger movement from Nairobi to different parts of the nation, even as PSVs operate at half capacity.
Bus fares are also anticipated to stay on average for the different routes versus spikes seen throughout the Christmas season, transporters mentioned.
Over 60,000 matatus and buses operate on Kenyan roads on a normal day.
The association has attributed the low numbers to the Covid-19 impact on households, which have been forced to cut on budgets.
A huge variety of city dwellers are also mentioned to have left town after losing jobs as a result of the pandemic. Companies started shedding jobs at the onset of the pandemic in March.
“Many individuals relocated and are yet to return, so there is not a lot of movement this festive season,” Kimutai mentioned.
Traditionally, bus parks such as the well-known Machakos Country Bus Station have had commotion throughout these periods as city dwellers scramble for transport to different parts of the nation.
Buses plying the Mombasa-Nairobi-Kisumu route and different parts of Western Kenya have, however, reported good business.
“We’re full until after Christmas,” Mash East Africa general manager Lennox Shalo mentioned.
The company operates between Mombasa-Nairobi and the East Africa area (Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda), served by a fleet of 60 buses.
Due to social distancing measures, the company has been carrying 24 passengers instead of 44 since resuming business in July after the end of the cessation of movement into and out of the Nairobi Metropolitan Space, Mombasa, and Mandera counties imposed on April 6.
This has affected its revenues, management notes, a trend seen throughout your entire PSV sector.
“Persons are touring this festive season although the numbers can’t be in comparison with earlier years,” Shalo mentioned.
Easy Coach, which serves the huge of Western Kenya, Nyanza, and the Rift Valley area with a fleet of about 100 buses, has also reported movement from town, although lack of return traffic is eating into its revenues.
“All our buses are sold out for the Christmas interval but that is one way. When recalling the busses they arrive empty,” managing director Azym Dossa mentioned.
The ban on night-time travel has also seen its fleet delay to return to town, which the management said has made it difficult to plan routes.
“We’re, however, doing our best to move Kenyans between town and different parts of the nation,” Dossa mentioned.
Domestic flights have had a price rise as demand will increase into the festive season.
For instance, low-cost carrier Jambojet is selling tickets at between Sh5,540 and Sh12,000 on the Nairobi-Mombasa route, from a low of Sh1,900 to an average Sh3,400 it sells during regular periods.
An online booking inquiry by the Star also confirmed Fly540 is asking for between Sh6,000 and Sh10,980.
SGR passenger trains (Madaraka Express) are fully booked for the subsequent weeks.
The road transport sector has been losing as much as Sh840 million each day because of the onset of the pandemic, which has seen them operate on half capacity, with a ban on night travel reducing its income.
