Gulu: Sadness from bus companies due to low passengers’ turn up

Gulu—2, August 2021: Bus companies in Gulu city were this morning crying over poor turn up of passengers as public transport resumes.

Government banned public transports for 42 days, a move to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

Patrick Bongomin, the Manager Makome Bus Services Ltd, Gulu branch disclosed to TND News that they have released only two buses from Gulu to Kampala and those are the only buses that will leave on Monday.

Bongomin noted that there will be one bus from Kitgum, making a total of 3 buses leaving for Kampala from the Northern region and all these buses are operating at half capacity.

“The first bus carried only 20 passengers while the second bus took off with only 22 passengers,” he told the publication.

“Despite the fact that only two buses left from Gulu, there is one bus loading passengers to wait for the bus coming from Kitgum so that they add these passengers on to that bus,” added Bongomin.

He, however, noted that these numbers are not even 50 percent as per the guideline issued by the President.

Geoffrey Akena, a staff at Pacific Bus Services Ltd confirmed they are failing to release their bus to Kampala since passengers are very few.

Simon, a staff and an administrator at Makome noted they are really struggling to get the passengers since people are from the lockdown and they have no money.

He confirmed they are charging each passenger shs 40,000 shillings from Gulu to Kampala since.

President Yoweri Kaguta partially reopened public transports on Friday last week with the directive that public transport starts operation on Monday, 2 August 2021.