Getting to work, hospital or university in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, has become a test of survival in a city battered by war. As transport fares rise, incomes fall and unemployment spreads, thousands of families are being forced to choose between commuting and paying for food, medicine and education. The crisis has deepened as displaced people return to Khartoum and its three cities while services remain limited and the number of operating vehicles falls far short of demand. Higher fuel, spare parts and operating costs have pushed fares up further. Passengers face long waits, frequent fare changes and shortages of vehicles on several routes. Damaged infrastructure and road closures have altered routes, lengthened journeys and forced many commuters to use more than one vehicle, sharply increasing daily costs. Official figures reflect the wider economic strain. Gold export revenues reached about $370 million in the first quarter of this year, while fuel imports exceeded $697 million over the same period, highlighting the gap between export earnings and the cost of essential imports as large parts of the economy remain shut by the war. For bus driver Abdullah Ali, 50, the transport crisis mirrors his personal losses. His bus was stolen when fighting began, and he was wounded by shrapnel in his right hand before fleeing to Gezira state, then Atbara and Shendi. After returning to Khartoum about six months ago, he began working as a hired driver on a bus he does not own. Ali told Asharq Al-Awsat that his income barely covered his daily needs and was not enough to renew his driver’s license. Many drivers were also unable to pay licensing and maintenance fees as fuel, oil, tire and spare-parts prices continued to rise, he said. Moussa al-Safi, a laborer supporting four children, said transport consumed much of his daily income. “The war has not only raised prices, but also reduced job opportunities,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “A worker pays to travel there and back without any guarantee of finding work or earning money by the end of the day.” Private-sector employee Sami Abdel Qayoum said he often used more than one vehicle to reach work, taking up a large part of his monthly salary. To save money, he gets off before his destination and walks long distances. University student Shehab Othman said some students arrived late or missed lectures because they could not afford transport, while others walked long distances to cut daily expenses. Ezzedine Jaber, a member of the bus union, said short-route fares were about 2,000 Sudanese pounds, while some longer routes cost up to 6,000 pounds. Lower fuel prices were the main way to reduce operating costs and ease the burden on passengers, he said. The impact extends beyond passenger transport. “The price of a gallon of diesel has exceeded 40,000 pounds, raising the cost of transporting goods from Port Sudan and production areas to markets and export ports,” economist Mohamed al-Nayer told Asharq Al-Awsat. “That is ultimately reflected in the prices of goods and services.” In Khartoum, where displaced people and refugees continue to return, transport fares have become part of the cost of survival. Each increase can mean one less meal for a family, delayed medicine for a patient, a missed lecture for a student or kilometers of walking for a worker trying to protect what remains of their income.
