Buses heading to Western Kenya are fully booked ahead of Christmas as Nairobians travel home to celebrate with their loved ones.
A spot check showed that Easy Coach buses to Busia, Kisumu and Kakamega from Nairobi are fully booked up to December 27 as passengers rush to their rural homes to celebrate Christmas.
Guardian Bus Service from Nairobi on routes such as Mumias, Kakamega Busia is also booked to capacity up to December 28.
There are a few seats left on Ena Coach that are set to be snapped up in coming days on routes such as Kisii, Kisumu, Homabay and Rongo from the city from December 11 to December 25.
The move is set to boost local carriers such as Jambojet, Fly540, Kenya Airways and Safarilink whose load factor is expected to remain low in December compared to the same time last year.
Airlines have also increased fares from Nairobi to Mombasa ahead of Christmas on early bookings and the ticker prices are expected to rise further in coming days.
A Nairobi-Mombasa flight on Jambojet on December 23 would go for a high of Sh14,100 and a low of Sh10,000 with the Christmas Eve attracting the highest fares of Sh16,100 for a one-way ticket.
A person going to Mombasa today will pay Sh6, 100.
“It’s great to see passengers book our vehicles on time. It’s a sure indication of the trust they have in our service. It also shows that they want to plan their travels early,” said a representative from Ena Coach who did not wish to be quoted.
The increase in demand has now seen Guardian Bus Service is charge Sh1,650 to ferry passengers to Busia, Kisumu, Kakamega and Mumias from Nairobi up from Sh1, 200 it was charging before the state lifted restriction in movement in and outside the counties.
Ena Coach on the other hand is charging a flat fare of Sh1, 500 to routes such as Kisii, Kisumu, Homabay and Rongo from Nairobi – up from Sh1, 000 early this year, representing a 50 percent increase.The bus firm is also charging Sh1,800 to ferry passengers to Busia and Sh1,700 to ferry passengers to Kakamega from the city — the same rates it was charging when it reviewed its fares three months ago.
