Sudan Transit Fares Spike 40% as Fuel Lines Stretch

The Sudan Transport Chambers Union increased intercity bus fares by 40% and minibus fares by 30% this month. The regulatory body raised prices to offset the steep climb in fuel costs that has strained operators across the country.

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has disrupted domestic energy production. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum valued war-related losses at $20 billion last year. The World Bank reported that attacks on the Balila oil field cut supplies to the Khartoum refinery. That refinery previously met about 60% of the national demand for petrol and liquefied petroleum gas.

Sudan now relies heavily on imports. A global fuel crisis has raised prices for gas, petrol, and diesel. Economic analyst Sidi Ohaj noted that government rules for importers have worsened the shortage. Importers must deposit 200kg of gold in the Central Bank and own fuel storage facilities. Some failed to meet these requirements and exited the market. "This reduced supply relative to demand," Ohaj said. He called on the government to ease import procedures urgently.

The scarcity has driven up prices in specific regions. A gallon of petrol costs 40,000 Sudanese pounds, or $4.30, in Gazira State. In Port Sudan, the price is 35,000 pounds, or $3.80. These costs have squeezed the margins for individual drivers.

Azhari Mohamed, a 60-year-old minibus driver in Port Sudan, works seven round trips daily between the Shagar neighborhood and the city center. He operates from 6am to 9pm. His vehicle consumes three gallons of petrol daily, costing about 105,000 pounds, or $11.30. Because fuel is scarce, he works two days and spends a third waiting in line. A single wait can exceed five hours. Sometimes the petrol runs out before he reaches the pump, forcing him to the back of another queue. After paying operating costs, he earns about 50,000 pounds, or $5.40, a day to support his family. "We just need fuel to be available so we can work," he said.

Passengers face higher costs as well. Aziza Ibrahim, a 38-year-old cleaner in Port Sudan, supports four children. She has cut her work to three days a week due to travel expenses. Before the war, her trip to the main city-center station cost 700 pounds. Fares on various routes are now 2,000 to 2,500 pounds. She needs 11,000 pounds, or $1.18, daily for the round trip. Transport consumes nearly half of her 400,000-pound monthly salary, which is equivalent to $43. She also manages costly diabetes treatment and sometimes borrows money to commute, repaying the loan when she is paid.

Businesses report similar pressure. Ahmed al-Haj, a trader in Omdurman market who packages skincare products, said higher diesel and petrol prices have raised the cost of moving a tonne of goods by 30 to 50 percent. He passes that increase to consumers. Power cuts force him to use a fuel-powered generator, which raises his daily costs further.

Local deliveries in Omdurman that cost 5,000 pounds, or $0.70, now run 10,000 to 12,000 pounds, or $1.07 to $1.29. Reaching customers in other states has become difficult. Transport and distribution workers are making fewer trips, causing goods to pile up at traders' premises. The United Nations Development Programme says the war has pushed average incomes in Sudan back to levels last seen in the 1990s.