Africa-Press – Tanzania. LATRA director general Habibu Suluo told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the fining will be done via a vehicle tracking system (VTS) to be installed in all buses.
This will greatly help to prevent accidents triggered by speeding during the end year festive season, he said, affirming that the government via its agency, the traffic police division, has been working hard to fight reckless driving “but some drivers are still averse to adhere to the rules.”
Many buses are now caught speeding on the road especially since the government allowed 24 hour travel services, he said, suggesting that automatic fining will boost safe journeys.
Drivers who will be found speeding will fall into automatic fines paid electronically through the government control number, he stated, insisting that the mechanism is for monitoring, recording and imposing fines directly.
Before commencement of the new modality, LATRA and the traffic police will convene a meeting with bus operators “to inform them on the decision and how it will be implemented,” with envisaged fines set at 30,000/- to 50,000/- for each recorded mistake.
LATRA has suspended transportation licenses for 36 upcountry passenger buses and licenses of ten drivers for allegedly tampering with the VTS apparatus leading to relaying false information or incomplete reports.
“In the one month period since night travel services started, out of 246 buses with permits to travel during night, 197 have a speeding challenge,” he said, noting night travel without acute measures can lead to more disasters.
In total 756 buses have been found tampering with the VTS including day time buses, to which traffic police commander SACP Ramadhani Ng’anzi said the force will not remain silent as speeding claims lives and imputes disability.
In the operation, police officers caught 666 buses in excessive speeding and the drivers punished with fines. 50 were issued warnings while 32 were hauled to court and cases are proceeding, he stated.
Drivers whose licenses were suspended will be required to sit for an examination at traffic police premises before being handed back their licenses.
“The automatic fining system will be of great help as it will exert pressure on bus drivers to be vigilant while they are on long trips,” he said, underlining that the safety of passengers is uppermost.
Priskus Joseph, the Tanzania Bus Owners’ Association (TABOA) secretary general, commended LATRA for the measures that they are taking to halt reckless driving, intimating that the bus owners will heighten their own controls.
He appealed to LATRA to avoid revoking bus operating licenses but deal with the drivers as they are responsible for the wrongdoing.
“Punishing owners for drivers’ mistakes isn’t good, so we call upon LATRA to think on this in order to enable the public to obtain transport services more reliably,” he added.
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