Transportation costs prevent families from traveling between governorates

Samah, 35, a displaced person from rural Damascus who resides in Idlib, will not be able to visit her family during the Eid holiday, despite the removal of security and military barriers that separated Syrian cities following the fall of the regime.

Samah told Eqtsad that public bus fares are no less than 300 Turkish liras (85,000 Syrian pounds) per person from Idlib's bus stations to the Abbasid bus station in Damascus. A simple calculation would require her family of four to pay 1,200 Turkish liras for the round trip and the same amount for the return trip, in addition to the internal transportation costs to reach her family's residence in the city of Darayya.

Transportation fares between Syrian governorates have increased significantly since the fall of the Assad regime and the decision to abolish fuel subsidies issued by the caretaker government. Fuel is now available, but imported, meaning it is linked to the dollar exchange rate. The price of a liter of diesel is $0.95, 95-octane gasoline is $1.23, and 90-octane gasoline is $1.1. The government sets the exchange rate for fuel at 11,000 Syrian pounds per dollar.

There are no fixed prices for transportation fares, as companies and travel agencies set them based on the cost of fuel. This has contributed to the rise in prices and the decline in passenger numbers, according to Mahab, the owner of a travel agency in Idlib.

Mahab told Eqtsad that after launching a number of regular trips shortly after the fall of the regime, he has now stopped operating them at specific times, as they are now linked to the completion of the passenger numbers so he can collect the trip fares and reap a portion of the effort.

Omar Qattan, Director of the General Authority for Passenger Transport, explained in an exclusive interview with Iqtisad that the authority is preparing programs and conducting precise studies by specialists to issue a specific and appropriate fare that meets the needs of citizens and vehicle owners.

He added that the fare will be issued soon, pending its finalization. He stated that the transportation fare between governorates will be determined by the ministry, stressing that it will be mandatory for all workers on the lines, according to the issued and approved fare.

He pointed out that there is currently no plan to operate government buses between governorates, and that reliance will be placed on the private sector for these routes. He noted that reactivating trains is among the proposed plans, but it requires a long timeframe.