MANZINI – Commuters will start paying higher bus fares next week after transport operators begin displaying notices announcing the revised tariffs.
The new fares are expected to take effect on Monday, November 16, 2026, following Parliament’s approval of the Maximum Bus and Taxi Fares (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.
Secretary General of the Swaziland Local Transport Association (SLTA) Musa Dlamini said operators were expected to display notices in their vehicles yesterday, giving passengers the required seven-day notification period before implementing the increases.
He said the association had to follow the prescribed procedure before operators could start charging the revised fares.
“There is a process that we must follow before eventually increasing the fares. For now, we are expecting to put up the notices in public transport vehicles first before eventually effecting the increase. The regulations state that we can only effect the increase after having notified passengers for a period of seven days,” he said.
A notice to be displayed in public transport vehicles states that the revised fares will become effective at midnight on Monday, November 16, 2026.
Implementation
“The new bus fares will take effect at midnight on Monday, November 16, 2026. This notice is issued in compliance with the required seven-day notice period before implementation,” reads part of the notice.
Under the revised tariffs, short-distance bus fares have increased by 25 per cent, with the fare for the first eight kilometres rising from E10 to E12.50.
For intermediate journeys covering distances between eight and 50 kilometres, the fare has increased from 70 cents to 77 cents per kilometre.
Meanwhile, long-distance fares have increased by 10 per cent. Journeys exceeding 50 kilometres will now cost 72.60 cents per kilometre, up from 66 cents.
The revised tariffs will affect passengers who depend on public transport for their daily journeys to work, school, business and other destinations. However, passenger Temcwasho Masilela believes the implementation date should be moved to December 1, when workers would have received their monthly salaries.
Masilela said the timing of the increase was important because many passengers would have to adjust their monthly budgets to accommodate the additional transport costs.
He said implementing the revised fares at the beginning of December would give workers an opportunity to plan for the higher costs after receiving their salaries.
The increase comes after the issue was debated in Parliament, where senators questioned whether government had a lasting solution to the recurring increases in public transport fares.
During the Senate debate on the proposed adjustments, Senator Princess Ncengencenge warned that the latest increase might not be the last if fuel prices continued rising.
Adjustments
She questioned how often Parliament would be expected to return to the issue of transport fares whenever fuel prices increased.
“How many times will we come here to discuss fuel increases and adjustments to the regulations?” she asked.
Ncengencenge called on government to engage public transport operators and agree on a common fare structure that would provide certainty for the industry while protecting passengers from repeated increases.
She said such an arrangement should take into account the possibility of further fuel-price increases and allow operators to continue providing services without repeatedly seeking adjustments to fares.
The senator also warned that if operating costs continued rising without a sustainable solution, some operators could reduce the number of buses and kombis on the roads.
This, she said, could leave passengers stranded and worsen congestion.
She further pointed out that public transport was essential to workers, businesses and people travelling to hospitals, adding that the rising fares were particularly concerning because salaries had not increased in line with the cost of living. Her concerns highlighted the difficulty faced by commuters who have to meet higher transport costs without corresponding increases in their earnings.
One senator also questioned how often Parliament would have to revisit the regulations as fuel prices continued to fluctuate.
He called on government to anticipate further fuel-price pressures and develop a more sustainable way of managing the public transport sector instead of responding to every increase as it occurred.
The senator further sought clarity on the earnings of bus drivers and conductors, arguing that any intervention in the sector should also address the welfare of employees.
Regulations
Senator Dr Stukie Motsa, who moved the motion for the Senate to consider and adopt the regulations, acknowledged the concerns raised by members, including questions about measures government intended to introduce to assist operators.
She said discussions held during a workshop had considered the proposed increase, although there were concerns that the adjustment would not provide a lasting solution to the challenges facing the industry.
Minister for Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe said government had a responsibility to protect emaSwati because the public transport sector had deliberately been structured to provide them with economic opportunities through ownership and operation of transport businesses.
He explained that in some countries public transport was either operated by government or government played a much larger role, while Eswatini had adopted a model that allowed emaSwati to own and operate public transport businesses.
He said if the system was experiencing problems, solutions had to be found rather than allowing the situation to deteriorate. The Senate debate followed concerns from consumers and transport operators over the financial implications of the proposed adjustment.
