Public transport operators across Burundi have suspended their services this week in protest against government-imposed sanctions for failing to comply with official ticket prices. The move has left bus stations in major cities deserted and passengers stranded, deepening the impact of the country’s ongoing fuel crisis.
On Monday, long-distance passenger transport drivers stopped operating after several of their colleagues were fined over the weekend for charging fares above the government-set rates. The fines, reportedly as high as one million Burundian francs were issued during roadside police checks.
“We came out to work as usual, but at checkpoints, traffic police stopped us, removed both the driver and the assistant, and asked passengers how much they had paid,” said Mr. N., a driver at the COTEBU-Bubanza terminal in Bujumbura. “When they heard it was 10,000 francs, they fined us one million francs for violating official pricing.”
Drivers argue that the government’s fixed ticket prices are unrealistic given that they must purchase fuel on the black market at significantly inflated costs due to chronic shortages.
“We’re simply asking that these measures be revised until fuel is readily available,” Mr. N. added. “Otherwise, we’ll continue sourcing fuel however we can, as we’ve always done.”
Similar disruptions were reported in Gitega, the country’s political capital, with passengers expressing frustration over being stranded.
“I came from Gitega for a wedding this weekend and now I can’t find a vehicle to return home,” lamented one woman at the COTEBU-Gitega station.
“I lost my mother and was on my way to Muyinga for her funeral, but now I’m stuck here,” said another passenger in distress.
The Association of Transporters of Burundi (ATRABU) confirmed that operators suspended services mainly out of fear of the heavy penalties.
“Since Sunday, the Ministry decided to impose severe fines for ticket price hikes. Drivers were too afraid to continue working as usual,” said ATRABU Secretary-General Charles Ntirampeba.
Ntirampeba criticized the persistent fuel supply crisis, stating that the state-run petroleum company SOPEBU has not distributed fuel for over a month, forcing drivers to source fuel from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo at high prices.
“This shortage has been ongoing for nearly three years. Drivers are not refusing to work; they just fear these excessive sanctions,” Ntirampeba explained. “We are requesting an urgent meeting with the Ministries of Transport and Interior to find solutions.”
PARCEM, a local civil society organization has urged the government to take urgent and concrete measures to address the ongoing fuel shortage.
“Transport is what keeps the economy moving. We are in a serious and obvious fuel crisis. The government should consider replacing privately organized transport with a public transport system,” said Faustin Ndikumana, the organization’s national director.
“If the government cannot do this, then private operators must continue providing minimum service. Penalizing transporters is not a solution,” he added.
The Transport Ministry has not yet commented on the strike. However, the Interior Ministry recently directed regional police to strictly enforce government-fixed prices across various sectors, warning of severe penalties for violators.
Burundi has been grappling with a severe fuel shortage for nearly three years, a crisis authorities attribute to a chronic lack of foreign currency needed to import petroleum products. With the country running a persistent trade deficit and facing logistical challenges in regional supply chains, state-run distributor SOPEBU has struggled to ensure regular fuel supplies. As a result, many drivers are forced to buy fuel on the black market, often at sharply inflated prices.
This article has been updated to include a statement from PARCEM
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