Passengers aboard a Madaraka Express train in Nairobi on November 3,
2018. Children will now be required to pay full fare. PHOTO | FILE |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenya Railways on Friday doubled fares for children using standard gauge railway (SGR) Madaraka Express trains.
The
review, effective June 1, is part of a plan to raise more revenue to
repay a multibillion-shilling Chinese debt incurred in building the
railway.
Minors between the age of three and 11 have
been paying Sh1,500 for first-class tickets and Sh500 for economy. The
new fares will be Sh3,000 and Sh1,000 respectively.
“Minors above three years shall (now) pay full fares,” read a company notice.
In
a statement titled “Improvement of the Madaraka Express Passenger
Service”, the corporation also announced that passengers will be allowed
to book their preferred seats on the train online, just like with
airlines. The period for advance booking was also extended from 30 to 60
days.
CONDITIONS
The management also said minors will be required to present
their parents’ or guardians’ identity cards during booking and a copy of
the document when travelling alone.
“In addition to
M-Pesa, passengers can now pay for the ticket using credit/debit cards
for online booking. Each passenger will be allowed only two pieces of
luggage, not exceeding 30 kilogrammes and 1.6 metres in height and
length,” said the management.
In January, Mr Philip Mainga, the acting Kenya Railways managing director, told the Nation that the company had proposed a review to remove the government subsidy.
“We are looking at a model where charges will be based on the seat irrespective of the traveller’s age,” he said.
In the new rules, passengers travelling with invalid or no tickets will be fined full fare and an extra 30 per cent penalty.
REFUNDS
Requests for a refund will be accepted 48 and 72 hours before the time of travel for individuals and groups, respectively.
People
seeking refunds will lose 30 per cent of the ticket price. Refunds can
be obtained via M-Pesa if it was the mode used to pay.
Rescheduling
will be allowed between 48 to 72 hours before travel time and will
attract a 10 per cent fine of the ticket price. A ticket can be
rescheduled only once.
In 2018, the firm raised cargo charges by up to 79 per cent while the promotional Sh700 fare for adults ended last May.
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