Public transportation tariffs doubled in Sudan’s capital

Since the beginning of the year, the people in Khartoum state are suffering from poor public transport and an increase in transportation costs by 50 to 100 percent. On Thursday, MPs questioned the Minister of Oil and Gas about the continuing shortage of cooking gas.

A resident of Khartoum told Radio Dabanga on Thursday that the bus stations in the Sudanese capital are overcrowded by people waiting for buses to take them to their work or homes.

He attributed the lack of buses to the shortage of fuel. “You see them queuing in long lines at the petrol stations in order to get fuel.”

The tariffs increased too: “By more 50 percent. For some lines, the fees rose with 100 percent.”

Cooking gas

The source also complained about the cooking gas crisis that is ongoing for more than two months. “People are often queueing for days to buy a refilled LPG cylinder. Even at the black market, where the price increased to more than SDG100 ($), it is hard to get one.”

He said that the people hold the government responsible for the shortages and the soaring prices of basic consumer goods.

On Thursday, federal MPs harshly criticised the Ministry of Petrol and Gas concerning the continued cooking gas shortages. 

Minister Mohamed Zayed Awad, replied by attributing the problem to the US sanctions imposed on the government's banking system and the scarcity of foreign currency with which to import the gas.

“Gas is widely available at the global markets. Without sanctions and the lack of of hard currency, it would be possible to import it in two weeks,” he said.