Commuters start paying daladala fares via e-card

fadhili akida

BCX Tanzania Sales and Marketing Senior Manager, Ebenezer Massawe demonstrates to the Journalists the new daladala fare payment system using Uhuru Pay electronic system during the launching ceremony held in Dar es Salaam yesterday. The servive was put in operation for Tegeta-Kivukoni daladala shortly after the launch. Looking on is the BCX Managing Director, Seronga Wangwe (Left) and SUMATRA Road Technical Safety & Environmental Manager, Geoffrey Silanda. (Photo by Fadhili Akida).

SMART payment has been extended further to daladala commuters and from today they start paying using electronic cards.

The service of using cards dubbed ‘Uhuru Pay’ launched yesterday by Business Connecxion (BCX) enables commuters to pay electronically and wipe out the problem of giving back change.

BCX-Tanzania Managing Director Seronga Wangwe said they will start with a pilot route between Tegeta Nyuki and Kivukoni before spreading to Dar es Salaam. “The service centered on simplifying change returning and enabling commuters to travel hassle free,” Mr Wangwe said.

The system wants daladala passengers to use a card on paying fare similar to UDART—Rapid Transit Bus. Also, the CEO said using e-payment system enables daladala owners to maximize their revenue collection as conductors handle no money instead a machine. “The good thing of the system will go along with a number of promotions and prizes…at one time a commuter will pay no fare,” Mr Wangwe said.

In Africa, according to BCX, Tanzania becomes a fourth country after Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique to use the system. Most of the developing countries are using e-card system for city commuting thus cutting company’s revenue loss and increase efficiency.

BCX-Tanzania Sales and Marketing Manager Ebenezer Massawe said the system is connected direct to daladala owner and enable him/her to follow daily ticket sales, which is current lacking. “The system has been tried several times and proved to work best in accordance to all parties’ expectation.

And the system is now ready to go to work,” Mr Massawe said. SUMATRA’s Director of Road Transport Regulation Johansen Kahetano said the system would not only increase owner’s revenue but enable taxman to collect correct tax from daladala operators.

“Once this system becomes official will enable drivers and conductors to have formal jobs,” Mr Kahetano said. Current daladala workers have neither permanent jobs nor contract and are working under daily commissions based on informal agreements.

At the moment Uhuru Pay is used for paying daladala fares but in near future the card will be used for many transactions in supermarkets, filling stations, money transactions—mobile phone and banking and other services such as LUKU, DAWASCO, National Housing, ZUKU, Azam TV and the like.