Commuters are now paying more for transport after the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) announced a sharp rise in fuel prices on Wednesday.
ZERA raised the maximum pump price of petrol (Blend E5) to US$1.71 per litre, up from US$1.56, while diesel increased to US$1.77 per litre from US$1.52.
Diesel powers most public transport vehicles, freight trucks, mining equipment and farm machinery, making its price especially important for commuter fares and inflation.
ZERA said government intervention prevented even bigger increases. Without that support, diesel would have cost US$1.90 per litre, while petrol would have reached US$1.81 per litre, the authority said.
The increase has already hit commuters who were struggling with rising living costs even before the fuel hike.
Many kombi operators have raised fares, passing the higher fuel costs on to passengers.
On some routes in major cities, fares have already gone up. In Harare, for example, a trip from the city centre to Zvido Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza has increased from US$1.50 to US$2.
In Bulawayo, kombis travelling from the city centre to high-density suburbs such as Luveve and Mahatshula are now charging US$1, up from 50 cents.
Many commuters say they are also worried that even if fuel prices fall in the future, kombi operators may not reduce fares, as happened after the government lifted COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
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Zimbabwe Hikes Diesel And Petrol Prices