Buses have stopped running between Aweil and Wanyjok in Northern Bahr El Ghazal as drivers and owners feud with the local government over taxation. The public transportation between the two towns has been stopped since Tuesday.
Early on Tuesday morning, the drivers at Abiem stopped their daily business for transporting passengers from Wanyjok to Aweil town. In response to the strike security personnel have arrested three people connected to the transportation business.
Drivers who declined to be named told Radio Tamazuj that they face a lot of problems with the county leadership of Aweil East because there is no clear or specific amount of taxation that is put in place for a bus leaving Wanyjok for Aweil or other bus stations in the county or even to Gogrial West County of Warrap State.
The authorities currently demand 70 pounds per 24-seat ‘Rosa’ bus leaving for Aweil town, a trip that normally costs a passenger 15 pounds. The smaller ‘Hass’ bus is taxed at 35 pounds per trip. Drivers say these demands are too heavy for them. According to them, it is difficult to turn a profit given the costs of taxation, fuel, repairs, and driver payment.
“If the government goes away with the 70 and 35 pounds, whom do we work for: the government or ourselves or the owners?” said a source who declined to be named.
There has been a shortage of fuel everywhere in South Sudan due to the economic crisis that followed the shut-down of the oil pipeline and trade with Sudan. The crisis has already crippled trade and caused massive inflation. “Now the government is killing us in indirect way, why? Are we not part of this country? We must never and never work again if we are still asked to pay this amount mentioned,” complained the source.
The chairman of the drivers’ union Athian Tung and two other transportation executives are currently detained by security personnel. Their arrest is connected to the stoppage of the public bus movement between Aweil East County and the state capital.