Putco to raise fares 10% as record diesel prices push fuel bill to breaking point

Putco confirms 10% fare hike as diesel costs bite

Putco will raise bus fares by an average of 10% from 1 June after record-high diesel prices pushed the operator’s fuel bill to an unsustainable level, the company said.

Why fares are rising

Putco said fuel prices in South Africa have surged to unprecedented levels due to global instability in energy markets. The company highlighted a key moment on 6 May 2026, when diesel spiked to about R32 per litre, putting severe strain on operations.

Spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said Putco had delayed increasing fares to protect passengers but had reached a point where an adjustment was necessary to maintain services.

“While many operators across the transport sector responded with immediate fare increases, Putco deliberately delayed implementing any adjustment in an effort to protect passengers from additional financial strain.”

How big the impact is

Putco said its fleet numbers and diesel usage underscore the scale of the problem: the company’s fleet of approximately 1 300 buses consumes close to 3 million litres of diesel monthly. The firm added it absorbed cumulative diesel-related increases amounting to millions of rand over April and May to shield commuters from immediate fare rises.

Internal modelling, the company said, showed a fuel-related adjustment of at least 35% would have been needed to fully offset the diesel hikes, but Putco chose a much smaller increase to limit the burden on passengers.

Calls for relief and government action

Putco said it had submitted requests for fuel relief to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport and engaged with the Southern African Bus Operators Association (SABOA) to seek urgent measures. According to the company, those efforts “have not resulted in any sustainable intervention to date.”

“The only notable intervention Putco acknowledges is the government’s temporary measures to ease fuel-related pressures by adjusting the fuel levy. However… their impact on large-scale public transport operations remains minimal when measured against the scale of current diesel increases.”

What this means for commuters

Putco framed the 10% increase as a reluctant but necessary step to ensure continued, reliable transport services across its operating regions. The company said it remains committed to ongoing engagement with government and stakeholders to pursue long-term interventions that protect commuters while ensuring the sustainability of subsidised public transport services.

Broader fuel market context

The company noted wider market volatility: while a temporary fuel-levy reprieve provided limited relief, that measure is due to end in June and broader international oil prices remain elevated. Citing mid-month Central Energy Fund data, recent recoveries on some fuel grades have been recorded, but diesel prices are still significantly higher than earlier in the year.