Daraa – Mahjoub al-Hashish
Bus drivers of public transport in Daraa province, southern Syria, are complaining about the continuous rise in the prices of spare parts and fuels, which has led them to raise public transportation fares.
The problem of increased costs reflects in the rise in transportation fees, which exposes minibus owners and drivers to ongoing problems and conflicts with passengers.
Public terminals are witnessing a stagnation in the number of passengers due to the decline in the financial capability of some, which has reduced the number of trips for drivers during daylight hours.
Work does not cover maintenance costs
Hussain al-Asaad, a minibus driver, spent 11 million Syrian pounds (1,100 USD) on spare parts after the bus engine broke down.
Al-Asaad told Enab Baladi that the earnings from work do not cover maintenance costs, and he is considering selling the vehicle and looking for another source of income.
As for Adel Ramadan, a driver on the Daraa-Muzayrib line, he mentioned that the earnings from work do not cover the consumables, including tires, engine oil, and minor maintenance.
Ramadan noted that he recently bought tires for the vehicle he operates for 2.5 million Syrian pounds (250 USD), while the cost of engine oil replacement is approximately 300,000 Syrian pounds.
Importers control prices
The prices of engine maintenance parts and car accessories are rising, with price variations between different shops.
Aysar Mahamid, owner of a spare parts shop in the industrial area of Daraa city, told Enab Baladi that importers control the prices, and the price of some parts has increased from their source, noting that they are priced in dollars.
Mahamid added that importers have recently ceased importing to sell the parts available in their warehouses before the fall of the Assad regime, which were imported at high prices due to the taxes and fees imposed by the previous regime.
He pointed out that most of the available parts currently come from China, which are of lower quality compared to products from other countries.
There are European-sourced parts in the market that enter through Lebanon and are expensive because they do not enter directly into Syria, according to Mahamid.
As for Fayyad al-Abazaid, owner of a parts shop in Daraa, he stated to Enab Baladi that the prices of spare parts have almost halved after the fall of the Assad regime, allowing traders to import and export.
According to Enab Baladi’s observation, the prices of car accessories have decreased by almost half.
Fuel eats into profits
Several drivers justified raising passenger fares due to the high price of diesel and the cancellation of subsidies for diesel allocated for public transport.
The price of a liter of diesel in the local market reaches 10,000 Syrian pounds, whereas the allocations for public transport vehicles were sold at 2,000 Syrian pounds per liter before the fall of the Assad regime.
Jamal Mutawe, a driver on the Daraa-Jasim line, said that the rise in transportation fares is linked to transportation costs, especially the price of diesel.
If the price of diesel drops or the subsidy program is reinstated, the driver would reduce the fare, according to Mutawe.
Mutawe charges 15,000 Syrian pounds for each passenger for a distance of over 55 kilometers.
Driver Hayel al-Ahmad called for the establishment of a subsidized diesel station around the public terminal and for a government committee to set prices based on distance.
The driver mentioned to Enab Baladi that drivers are in constant conflict with passengers who complain about high transportation fares.
Additionally, several minibus drivers complained of stagnation in the number of passengers, as the driver can only make one trip a day, and the bus may wait for over an hour to fill up with passengers.
Many attributed the stagnation to the reduced movement in the city by residents following a decline in income levels, with some relying on private cars, which have become more common since the fall of the regime, and the opening to the markets in northern Syria. Others come to the city using motorcycles, as the Daraa City Council does not prohibit their entry.
Fares burden university students
A student at the Faculty of Education in Daraa, Safi al-Ghazi, rented a shared apartment with several colleagues in Daraa city to save on transportation costs.
The fare from al-Shajara town to Daraa city amounts to 15,000 Syrian pounds, making it necessary for al-Ghazi to have 30,000 Syrian pounds daily, leading him to find shared renting as a solution to reduce costs and avoid waiting hours at the terminal.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman al-Hashish, a resident of Tel Shihab town, stated that he needs about 40,000 pounds daily for his children’s transportation to university.
Al-Hashish called for regulating transportation fares and reducing charges through support for public transport.