THE Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) is expected to announce fares for Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (DART) that correspond to the price of oil in the world market which has gone down.
The Sumatra Communications Manager, Mr
David Mziray, told journalists in Dar es Salaam that Sumatra is expected
to announce the fares next week, saying the transport watchdog was
finalizing talks with DART operator in order to announce the fares.
“DART will start operation with 50 buses
as a pilot project before commuter buses service is phased out,” said
the Sumatra Communications Manager.
Speaking on the state of transport in
the city, Mr Mziray, said Sumatra in collaboration with the Police Force
had impounded 105 commuter buses over traffic regulations violation
including using different routes and fare overcharging.
“So far, 36 drivers of the commuter
buses have been dragged to Kinondoni Resident Magistrate’s Court and
Ilala District Court,” he said.
Mr Mziray explained that cases of
traffic regulations violation is on increase largely during evening and
that most commuter bus drivers have been reported to use different
routes and fare overcharging.
“We have managed to impound 105 commuter
buses during a crackdown carried out from March 21 to 24,” he said. Mr
Mziray pointed out Posta, Fire, Ubungo and Ubungo as the bus stops with
most cases of traffic regulation violations and that the crackdown also
netted unlicensed commuter buses.
He directed commuter bus drivers and
conductors to observe the terms stipulated in their licences noting that
any driver who will go against the traffic regulations will face the
wrath of the law.
In January this year, Prime Minister
Kassim Majaliwa, lashed out at exorbitant bus fares proposed by the
interim operator of Bus Rapid Transit in Dar es Salaam, UDA Rapid
Transit Company (UDA-RT), describing them as unjustifiable.
The premier thus directed the Minister
of State in President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local
Governments), Mr George Simbachawene and the Minister for Works,
Transport and Communication, Professor Makame Mbarawa, to immediately
meet with stakeholders and come up with reasonable fares.
The directive by Mr Majaliwa came after a
public hearing coordinated by the Surface and Marine Transport
Regulatory Authority (Sumatra), in which the UDA-RT suggested fares
ranging between 700/- and 1,400/-.
During the hearing, the Managing
Director of UDA-RT, Mr David Mgwasa, also proposed fares of 700/- for
passengers travelling from Mbezi-Kimara through a feeder route, 1,200/-
for those using trunk routes and 1,400/- for both feeder and trunk roads
(main roads) from Kimara to Kivukoni.
The operator suggested further that
students should pay half the amount to be charged on the respective
routes. However, Mr Majaliwa yesterday reminded Sumatra to be aware that
the government would not agree to the proposed fares.
“I had earlier directed that BRT
services should start operations on January 10, this year, but this may
be delayed to pave the way for stakeholders to set affordable fares,”
the premier told reporters shortly after landing at the Julius Nyerere
International Airport (JNIA) from Ruvuma Region
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