The bus firm increased fares in about 90 percent of its routes including Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Bungoma and Busia in high demand for travel to western Kenya.
The increase comes less than three months after bus companies including Easy Coach reduced fares to retain and attract more travellers to western Kenya.
Travellers to Kisumu from Nairobi by Guardian Bus Service pay Sh1,300 down from Sh1,200.
Guardian Bus Service has increased fares in nearly all its routes by up to Sh100 as demand for upcountry travel picks after the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
The bus firm increased fares in about 90 percent of its routes including Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Bungoma and Busia in high demand for travel to western Kenya. The increase comes less than three months after bus companies including Easy Coach reduced fares to retain and attract more travellers to western Kenya.
Easy Coach is charging passengers a flat fare of Sh900 to Keroka down from Sh1,400 in December, Sh1,100 to Homa Bay down from Sh1,500, Sh1,100 to Oyugis down from Sh1,450 and Sh700 to Narok from Sh1,000 from its hub in Nairobi.
The drop in fare came after the State lifted tough Covid-19 containment measures such as wearing face masks in open public places and allowing full in-person worship for vaccinated persons.
Kenya’s positivity rate — the proportion of tests coming back positive — has continued to drop, standing at 0.3 percent on Monday compared to a peak of 37.6 percent on December 27.
The lower infection rates come on the back of increased inoculation against Covid-19, with more than 7.9 million Kenyans fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, up from 3.93 million on December 27.
“We’ve increased fares in nearly all our routes. The fare raise is up to Sh100 on each route,” a representative at Guarding Bus Service told the Business Daily on Thursday.
“You must understand that the number of passengers going upcountry has been increasing, more so, after the government relaxed Covid-19 restrictions.”
Travellers to Kisumu from Nairobi by Guardian Bus Service pay Sh1,300 down from Sh1,200.
The firm also charges passengers Sh1,300 to ferry them to Siaya from Nairobi, down from Sh1,200 it was charging last month.
The bus firm has also raised its fare by Sh100 on other routes such as Bungoma to Sh1,300.
The company is, however, charging passengers a flat rate of Sh1,000 to ferry them to Kisii from Nairobi — the same prices it was charging last month.
“For demographic reasons, South Nyanza fares per kilometre have been on the lower side by far. So further adjustments demand not necessary,” said Easy Coach managing director Azym Dossa told the Business Daily.
The low positivity rate in the country saw Kenya early this month lift wearing of face masks in open public places and full in-person worship for vaccinated persons restored.
Spectators were allowed back in venues without masks while Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) were allowed to resume carrying passengers at full capacity without masks mandates.
The state also lifted PCR requirement on international travellers, while unvaccinated travellers are now subjected to antigen test at their own cost of $50, and required to self-isolate.
The nation had banked on mass vaccinations to keep infection rates lower and avoid lockdowns, which triggered layoffs and contraction of the economy last year.
