Africa-Press – Tanzania. PASSENGERS going to upcountry for end-year celebrations have asked authorities and transporters to find alternative ways of ensuring smooth transportation services with affordable and acceptable fares.
On Wednesday, the ‘Daily News’ witnessed a massive number of passengers at Dar es Salaam’s Ubungo Bus Terminal (UBT), most of them struggling to purchase tickets ready for trips to join their loved ones in their respective regions.
However, some of the passengers said the situation is already becoming difficult at the station, saying the number of people is growing bigger compared to the available buses.
The Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) acted quickly in addressing the mayhem, with the authority’s Director of Road Transport, Mr Johansen Kahatano saying it has opened a mobile office at the terminal. He said LATRA has opened the office to ensure quick intervention in case of any problem.
“We are already stationed here and we are following up all events in this area. LATRA has started to issue temporary license to some transporters who wish to take routes to those areas with too many passengers at this time around,” said the LATRA licensing officer, Mr Leo Ngowi.
According to the Daily News survey at UBT, there was a high demand of transportation to travelers heading to Northern regions such as Arusha and Kilimanjaro.
Moreover, middlemen have also taken the floor by selling tickets at higher prices compared to the approved amount.
