Sudan Transport Union Raises Fares 40% as Fuel Prices Spike

A single gallon of petrol in Gazira State now costs 40,000 Sudanese pounds, a price that has reshaped daily life across the country. The scarcity of fuel has forced the Sudan Transport Chambers Union to adjust rates for public and private vehicles this month. Intercity bus fares have jumped by 40%, while minibus fares have increased by 30%.

Azhari Mohamed, a 60-year-old minibus driver in Port Sudan, illustrates the physical toll of the shortage. He operates between the Shagar neighbourhood and the city centre, completing seven round trips daily from 6 am to 9 pm. His vehicle consumes 11 litres of petrol per day, costing approximately 105,000 Sudanese pounds. Because fuel is difficult to locate, Mohamed works two days and spends a third waiting in line. These waits can exceed five hours, and the fuel sometimes runs out before he reaches the pump.

After covering operating costs, Mohamed earns about 50,000 Sudanese pounds per day. This amount supports his wife and a daughter attending university. In Port Sudan, the local price for a gallon is 35,000 Sudanese pounds. Mohamed told Al Jazeera that his only requirement for a stable income is consistent fuel availability.

The fare hikes have forced passengers to reduce their activity. Aziza Ibrahim, a 38-year-old cleaner in Port Sudan, supports four children and has cut her work schedule to three days a week. Her round trip to the city centre station now costs 11,000 Sudanese pounds. Before the war, the same journey cost 700 Sudanese pounds. Transport now accounts for nearly half of her 400,000 Sudanese pound monthly salary. She also manages the cost of diabetes treatment and often borrows money to reach work, repaying the loans when her wages arrive.

The economic strain extends beyond individual households. The United Nations Development Programme states that the war has reduced average incomes in Sudan to levels last seen in the 1990s. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began on April 15, 2023. Last year, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum estimated war-related losses at $20 billion.

Supply disruptions have compounded the shortage. Attacks on the Balila oil field have disrupted supplies to the Khartoum refinery, which previously met 60% of national demand for petrol and liquefied petroleum gas. Sudan now relies on imports while a global fuel crisis raises prices for gas, petrol, and diesel. Economic analyst Sidi Ohaj noted that government rules requiring importers to deposit 200 kg of gold in the Central Bank and own storage facilities have reduced the number of active importers. He stated that this reduction in supply relative to demand worsens the crisis.

Businesses in Omdurman are also absorbing higher costs. Ahmed al-Haj, a trader in the Omdurman market, packages skincare products such as petroleum jelly. He reported that higher diesel and petrol prices have increased the cost of moving a tonne of goods by 30 to 50 percent. These costs are passed on to consumers through higher product prices. When power cuts force him to use a fuel-powered generator, his daily expenses rise further. Local deliveries that once cost 5,000 Sudanese pounds now range from 10,000 to 12,000 Sudanese pounds, making deliveries to other states impossible. Transport workers are making fewer trips, causing goods to pile up at trading premises.