Africa-Press – Tanzania. COMMUTERS who use rapid transit services are set to receive a major boost following the repair of previously faulty buses and importation of new ones, as part of ongoing efforts to address transport challenges and improve service efficiency.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Prof Riziki Shemdoe, said this yesterday during an inspection visit to assess the ongoing repair of 30 rapid buses.
He said that of the 30 buses which were being repaired, 17 have already been completed and are set to resume operations today.
The minister directed that following the restoration of the 17 buses, the transit services should resume from Gerezani to Mbezi and Kivukoni to Mbezi and from Kimara to Mloganzila.
Prof Shemdoe said the government allocated a total of 1.2bn/- for the purchase of engines and various spare parts to return the buses to service.
“Already, 17 buses are ready, while engines are being installed in the remaining 13 buses to complete the repair process,” he said.
He explained that the buses had been operating only up to Kimara and directed that starting today, the service should be extended to Mloganzila, citing the high number of residents who depend on the route for their daily commute.
He directed UDART to restore the services starting today and ensure that buses reach Mloganzila Hospital, noting that people, especially patients are facing difficulties accessing the facility.
Prof Shemdoe further said that in a bid to reduce the transport burden in Dar es Salaam, the government has allocated a total of 20bn/- for the purchase of 99 additional buses, of which 49 have already arrived at the port.
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He said: “Soon, these 49 buses will be on the road to increase services for Dar es Salaam residents. Some of them will also be deployed on the Gerezani–Mbezi route.”
Prof Shemdoe instructed the Managing Director of UDA Rapid Transit (UDART) to explore ways of ensuring the speedy release of the buses already at the port in order to minimise storage costs while awaiting payment.
“Ensure you coordinate with the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to facilitate the quick release of the buses, bring them here to reduce the escalating costs of keeping them at the port and allow other cargo to continue being offloaded,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Director General of UDART, Mr Pius Ng’ingo, pledged to implement the directives immediately, while urging residents to use the bus services responsibly and refrain from damaging transport infrastructure.
“Services are indeed needed for passengers travelling from Kimara to Mloganzila and we will follow the directives to ensure that buses start operating tomorrow,” he said.
On the sustainability of the bus project, Mr Ng’ingo noted that the agency has, after nine years of operation, acquired sufficient capacity to manage the express bus system.
“To prevent damage to the buses, we have decided to enter into a special agreement with the National Institute of Transport (NIT) to provide training for our drivers. All drivers operating these buses will be required to undergo specialised training conducted by NIT,” he said.
