|
|
|
Front Page It’s official: No more Dala dala queues at terminalsby Staff Reporter and Hamza Kalmera The Regional Transport Licensing Authority (RTLA) has abolished the controversial queueing system that the town commuter vans (Dala dala) were required to undergo before leaving the bus terminal. According to the Chairman of RTLA, James Kangalu, town buses will no longer be subjected to dock at the terminals except to drop off passengers, after which they can continue with their routes. The queueing system was introduced by officials of the Arusha and Kilimanjaro Bus Operators Association (AKIBOA) in 2001 under claims that the move would create order along the roads in town. However, some local transport stakeholders, later started to complain that AKIBOA officials did it for their own benefit, because each vehicle was being forced to pay Tsh.500 before leaving the station and Tsh.1,000 as daily charges of operation. About 600 mini buses serve as town buses in the municipality. Of late, there had been reports of quarrels along most roads as groups of people, claiming to have been sent from AKIBOA, attacked the buses, demanding to be given the Tsh.1,000 or force the passengers down. In case the drivers refused the gangs would deflate the tyres, much to the inconvenience of passengers. The Arusha RTL Authority have also banned the fees instructing that any form of payment must be done in recognized offices, and must be confirmed by receipts. The queueing system for commuter vans was rendering commuter transport within Arusha municipality and its suburbs cumbersome as passengers were compelled to wait for, sometimes, hours to catch a bus to their respective destinations. The system was also being used to reinforce the illegal fare charges of Tsh.200 per person instead of the officially approved Tsh.100 and Tsh.150 depending on the respective routes. In the official statement with reference number RC/AR/L.3/350 the Regional Licensing Authority has ordered the resumption of official fare charges, instructing bus operators to drop the unofficial Tsh.200 charges. The authority has also established 12 new routes for commuter town buses.
| ||||||||||||||
