TRL proposes new fares for passengers

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda (close to camera) and Transport minister Harrison Mwakyembe inspect one of coaches imported by  the Tanzania Railway Limited in Dar es Salaam on December 8, 2014. 

By Ludger Kasumuni, The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• When approved they will start in the middle of this month. Fares for third class to Kigoma and Mwanza from Dar es Salaam are Sh38,800 and Sh38,100 respectively

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) has proposed  new fares for passengers.

When approved they will start in the middle of this month. Fares for third class to Kigoma and Mwanza from Dar es Salaam are Sh38,800 and Sh38,100 respectively.

Presenting the proposed fares for 17 train stations under the deluxe passenger train services, the TRL commercial manager, Mr Charles Ndege, listed some of the third-class train fares with bus fares in brackets from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro as Sh12,300 (Sh10,750), Dodona Sh18,900 (Sh24,247) and Tabora Sh28,600 (Sh45,237).

Other third-class fares against bus fares are Kigoma Sh38,800 (Sh66,738), Shinyanga Sh33,600 (Sh55,615) and Mwanza (Sh38,100 (Sh65,407).

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra), he said the rates had been revised upwards because operating costs had increased, latest equipment with new services such as communication services for passengers and modern catering services with special coaches have been introduced and the travelling time has been reduced.

“The new services will make passengers more comfortable than the old ones. They are also friendlier to businesspeople because they will save time.”

 Mr Ndege also spoke about second-class seating and sleeping services from Dar es Salaam. They are, with sleeping fares in brackets) Morogoro Sh13,400 (Sh23,200), Dodoma Sh21,400 (Sh37,000), Tabora Sh32,900 (Sh56,700), Kigoma Sh44,900 (Sh77,600), Shinyanga Sh38,900 (Sh67,200) and Mwanza Sh44,400 (Sh76,400).

However, the Sumatra Consumer Consultative Council (Sumatra CCC) is against the new tariff structure on the grounds that it is not attached with the cargo tariffs and that train infrastructure is poor and travelling schedules have been disrupted due to frequent accidents.

Sumatra CCC education officer Nicholaus Kinyariri said globally the passenger train fares are normally subsidised by cargo fares, but for the case of TRL proposal was unclear.

An expert in logistics and transport management at the Institute of Transport Management, Mr Godlisten Msumanje, supported that the cost of running the new passenger train services must be attached with the cost-benefit analysis for running cargo train services.