Cofek secretary-general Stephen Mutoro said the increased fares would force many consumers to shun the standard gauge railway (SGR) services.
He was reacting to the plan by the Kenya Railways to increase fares.
The agency’s managing director Atanas Maina said early this month that the charges could be adjusted to Sh1,200 from Sh700 after approval by the Transport ministry.
A consumer lobby has objected to the planned raise of Madaraka Express fares between Nairobi and the coastal town of Mombasa in the next two months.
The Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) secretary-general Stephen Mutoro said the increased fares would force many consumers to shun the standard guage railway (SGR) services.
“We strongly object to the 71.43 per cent increment which is not only steep but unreasonable,” said Mr Mutoro in a letter dated February 8 to Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.
“Kenyans are paying dearly for the loans on the SGR project. It cannot be that SGR then charges more than buses,” he argued.
He was reacting to the plan by the Kenya Railways to increase fares. The agency’s managing director Atanas Maina said early this month that the charges could be adjusted to Sh1,200 from Sh700 after approval by the Transport ministry.
“We are waiting for approvals from the Transport ministry which should be out by next month. As soon as we get them, we will do adjustments across the board,” Mr Maina said.
Mr Mutoro however said the proposed price hikes would make the service unappealing to customers in the face of cheaper options.
“It cannot be that SGR then charges more than buses. If we cannot reduce buses and trucks on the road by making SGR services more competitive, then the question that begs the answer is why pray did Kenyans invest so heavily in the project?” Mr Mutoro posed.
Mr Mutoro called for the planned hikes to be delayed until a structured public consultation is done on the same.
The Sh3,000 fare for first-class passengers on the train which has been operational since last June will remain the same in the new fare regime.
Inter-county train service charges on the Madaraka Express between Mombasa and Nairobi are however expected to go up from April 1 by about 30 per cent.
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