Bus owners plan open strike in Sudan capital

The Executive Office of Public Transport Owners and Drivers in Khartoum are planning an open strike to reject increases in licensing fees and traffic fines announced by the Khartoum state government two days ago. 

Following a meeting on Sunday, the bus and minibus owners said in a statement that they decided on an open strike in order to compel the Khartoum authorities to back down from the recent increases in traffic fines.

The government also announced that the licensing fees for working on a route issued by the Petroleum Administration and other levies imposed by localities on transportation stops will be increased. “They are forcing us to increase the transportation fares by about 600 per cent,” the statement said. 

A bus driver strike caused “complete paralysis” in the Sudanese capital in January after the drivers laid down tools in protest against “increases in license fees and traffic fines, and unreasonable taxes.” 

The Sudanese government is not receiving any external support for its annual budget for the second year in a row, so it must rely on its own resources to complete the 2023 national budget. 

However, many economic experts in the region are not convinced that increasing taxes is a good way to support Sudan’s economy. They warn that it will further increase the economic hardships of many Sudanese.