As B’da-Kumbo road reopened: Commuters heave sigh of relief as transport fares drop.

The over 100km road between the two major towns of the North West Region had been blocked for over a month, by separatist fighters, leaving commuters stranded. 

The blockage affected movements from Bamenda to Tatum in Nkum sub-division, Bui Division and the whole of Donga and Mantung Division. 

Many travelers in the said localities went through the ordeal of moving through the neighbouring West Region to and from Bamenda, with the attendant consequences. 

This included huge transport fares, time wastage and insecurity. Travelling from Kumbo to Bamenda recently, this reporter had to pass through Bamunka, in Ndop Central, Bafanji in Balikumbat Subdivision, Galim and Mbouda in the West Region to Bamenda. The transports fare was 15,000 FCFA, excluding other incidental expenses like compulsory ‘settling’ of regular forces and Amba fighters. 

Although the journey started at the Kumbo Squares at 9am, the vehicle could only arrive Bamenda at 6pm, at the same time with vehicles that left same time from Yaounde, Douala, Limbe, Buea and Kumba.

It was thus with an atmosphere of ecstasy that many travelers learnt of the decision to reopen the road with effect from last Tuesday, August 1, 2023. 

An elated mother, whose two kids travelled from Kumbo to Bamenda, on August 2, expressed satisfaction that by 11am, the kids were already in Bamenda. 

“Although I paid close to 20,000FCFA for the kids to reach Bamenda, I am very happy they did and on time. When I travelled with them to Kumbo a month ago via Mbouda, we spent more than 50,000FCFA and we were on the road the whole day,” the lady, who opted not to be named, told this reporter via telephone from Kumbo.

Suffice to note that prior to the advent of the prolonged Anglophone crisis, the fare from Kumbo to Bamenda was 2,500 FCFA. 

With the said portion of the Bamenda Ring Road being improved upon, it was believed that the transport fares were to drop to 2,000 FCFA or less. 

But the crisis came and made things worse, causing an upsurge of the fares to more than 10,000FCFA. Many commuters from Kumbo at certain moments saw themselves in Bamenda via Oku or Fundong in Boyo Division. 

The road blockage is a regular occurrence on that stretch of the highway, usually with no explanation from Amba fighters for the blockage.