E-Bus Xpress offers free rides in Kampala: See routes, future prices

• E-Bus Xpress passengers can travel free on all routes until September 6.

• Kampala fares will range from Shs800 to Shs1,800, depending on the journey.

• The company operates cashless payments and offers discounted school travel.

• The government plans to deploy 100 electric buses in Greater Kampala by December.

Commuters can travel free on all E-Bus Xpress routes until September 6 under a limited offer aimed at introducing more passengers to electric public transport.

The free rides, which began on August 28, cover the company’s routes in Kampala, Kira Municipality and Jinja. Normal fares will resume after the promotion.

In Kampala, short journeys will cost Shs800. These include City Square to Nakawa, Nakawa to Ntinda, Ntinda to Bukoto and Bukoto to Wandegeya.

Passengers travelling from City Square to Ntinda will pay Shs1,500 on one route and Shs1,800 on another. The City Square–Bukoto fare also ranges between Shs1,500 and Shs1,800, depending on the route.

The buses accept cashless payments through MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money and E-Bus Xpress wristbands. Passengers can load money onto the wristbands and tap them when boarding.

The company has also introduced school passes. They cost Shs800 daily, Shs5,500 weekly, Shs22,000 monthly and Shs62,000 per term.

E-Bus Xpress managing director Ian John Kavuma said schoolchildren would pay half the standard fare on individual journeys.

“A journey where we charge Shs800, the children in school uniform would pay Shs400,” Kavuma said. He added that the buses have a system that alerts parents when their children board.

The government plans to deploy 100 electric buses across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area by December. The rollout will cover major routes in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts.

E-Bus Xpress, a commuter transport company under Kiira Motors Corporation, has increased its fleet from eight to 30 electric buses within three months. It added 15 buses last week to serve residential and business areas in Kira Municipality.

The new services run on three corridors. One links Ntinda, Najjera, Kira, Kitukutwe, Kiwologoma and Nakwero. Another connects Ntinda, Naalya, Kyaliwajjala, Namugongo and Sonde. The third covers Ntinda, Kisaasi, Kyanja and Kungu.

Each corridor has five buses operating from 6am to 10pm.

Kampala Affairs Minister Minsa Kabanda said the buses would help reduce congestion in the metropolitan area. She also called for cleaner and more reliable public transport.

The government expects at least 300 electric buses to operate in Greater Kampala by December 2027. E-Bus Xpress also plans services connecting Kampala to Entebbe, Gayaza, Wakiso Town and Mukono.

Kiira Motors manufactures the Kayoola electric buses in Uganda. The company has also trained about 400 drivers through a specialised electric bus programme.

Beyond Kampala, E-Bus Xpress operates routes from Jinja to Mbiko, Iganga and Buwenge. Passengers pay Shs1,000 between Jinja and Mbiko, while trips to Iganga and Buwenge cost Shs2,000.