Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE eagerly-awaited electronic ticketing system for upcountry buses is expected to become operational from April next year, the government has said.
The new development comes after a committee, which was formed to look at the challenges observed in the previous e-ticketing setup and suggest the way forward, submitted its report to the government on Monday.
Works and Transport Deputy Minister Mwita Waitara received the report in Dar es Salaam, upon which he announced that the system would officially resume from April, next year.
A special committee involving key stakeholders, including bus operators and the government, was appointed in July, this year to address all challenges encountered when the system was first introduced.
According to the deputy minister, some of the issues, which earlier attracted widespread concerns from key stakeholders, have been agreed upon while others would require amendment of the laws and regulations.
“The ministry will meet with the Tanzania Bus Owners Association (TABOA), Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) and the Finance and Planning Ministry to analyze the recommendations and do some amendments while other proposals will be tabled in Parliament,” said Mr Waitara. He went on to reveal that the government will put in place a friendly system which will create good relations between operators and LATRA, noting that should any operational challenges arise, the parts could address them through a better system.
The committee was composed of 11 members who had the task to address 17 challenges which rose in the process of introducing the systems.
“Among concerns observed by the committee include operators failing to get their actual daily revenues from ticket sales, passengers experiencing poor network while using the system and failure to completely access the e-tickets in some of the areas,” said the committee’s chairman, Eng Aron Kisaka who also serves as the Director of Transport Services at the ministry.
The government launched a system of purchasing tickets via digital platform in January, 2021 in line with licensing guidelines and regulations. Travellers were required to download a mobile app, known as Tiketi Mtandao, and buy tickets from bus operators of their choice, with payment being made through mobile money platforms or banks.
However, the system failed to replace traditional paper tickets after travellers and bus operators faulted it as very complex and inconvenient. to operators.
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