Economic crisis | Plummeting Syrian pound and fuel high price of fuel prompt internal transport fares to skyrocket in Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah city sees an escalation in the already dire living crises due to the plummet of the Syrian pound’s exchange value against the US dollar and the high price of fuel that has prompted transportation fares to soar, creating a stifling crisis and adding more burden on the civilians.
SOHR activists have reported that the fares of transport via buses in the city have recorded 500 Syrian pounds, up from 300 Syrian pounds two months ago. While, the fares of “Taxi” from one neighbourhood to another have risen to 4,000 Syrian pounds, which was less than 3000 SYP. This has negatively affected the mobility of employees and school students in particular.
Speaking to SOHR, a taxi driver known by his initials as M. N. says that Autonomous Administration provides the owners of cars and buses with 75 litres of petrol per week from petrol stations, while the reason for the increase in transportation fares is due to the collapse of the exchange value of the Syrian pound against the United States dollar.
The taxi driver has added that the Syrian pound is the only currency people deal with in Al-Hasakah city, so the people had been burdened by the skyrocketing transport fares as the monthly salary do not commensurate with the soaring prices and the daily needs.
The driver has explained that he is forced to raise transportation fares in line with fuel prices and his constant fatigue throughout the day.
The man has also called on the relevant authorities to pay attention to this dilemma and to provide the necessary solutions.
It is worth noting that the exchange rate of the Syrian pound against one United States dollar in Al-Hasakah is recorded at 6,400 in light of the high prices of fuel and the deteriorating living conditions, which increased the suffering of civilians.
The people suffer from the high transportation fares, particularly those with limited incomes, employees, workers, and schoolchildren who go on foot as a last solution for the transport crisis.
An undergraduate student who lives in Al-Haskah known by his initials as K. A, says to SOHR that he suffers from high transportation fares as everything is constantly rising, forcing him to sometimes walk from home to university to avoid high transport fares.
The student has pointed out that many civilians no longer bear all these burdens and soaring prices.
All areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Autonomous Administration in north-eastern Syria, like other areas of Syria, suffer from deteriorating living conditions, high prices of most basic essentials and lack of job opportunities amid the inability of the concerned authorities to play their part in improving the living conditions, resulting in protests by civilians during the previous period.