Unguja. The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGZ) has announced an average 16 percent increase in public transport fares for both urban and rural routes, with the revised rates taking effect on August 1, 2026, the same day electric buses are scheduled to begin operations.
Announcing the changes on Monday, July 21, 2026, the Minister for Works and Transport, Dr Khalid Salum Mohammed, said the minimum daladala fare will increase from Sh500 to Sh700.
He said passengers using the new electric buses will also pay Sh700, while students and elderly passengers will continue to pay half the approved fare.
“The government has reviewed fares for public road transport services, including daladala and rural service vehicles, after assessing the actual operating costs of providing these services,” he said.
Dr Mohamed said operating costs have increased significantly in recent months, largely because of rising global fuel prices.
He said the higher costs had affected the ability of transport operators to provide services efficiently, prompting transport associations in Unguja and Pemba to petition the government for a fare review.
“In line with the established procedures, the proposals were subjected to a comprehensive assessment that considered the interests of both commuters and transport operators,” he said.
Under the new fare structure, journeys of between one and 12 kilometres will cost Sh700, up from Sh500.
Fares for journeys of between 19 and 21 kilometres have increased from Sh800 to Sh1,000.
For rural service vehicles, fares for journeys of between one and 14 kilometres have risen from Sh600 to Sh700, while fares for routes covering between 60 and 70 kilometres have increased from Sh2,500 to Sh3,000.
On the electric bus service, Dr Mohamed said passengers travelling between Malindi and Buyu, and between Malindi and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, will each pay Sh700.
Students and elderly passengers will continue to pay half the approved fare.
He directed transport associations in Unguja and Pemba to work with the Land Transport and Road Safety Authority to prepare, verify and prominently display fare schedules for every route in all public service vehicles to minimise confusion and disputes.
While transport operators welcomed the fare adjustment, some commuters said it would place an additional burden on households already grappling with the rising cost of living.
Daladala owner and driver, Mr Khatib Juma Haji said operators had been running at a loss for a long time because fuel prices had increased repeatedly while fares remained unchanged.
However, Jang'ombe resident Shuweina Abubakar said the increase would hit low-income earners hardest because their incomes have not kept pace with the rising cost of living.
