Glitches as new bus terminal business start

Dar es Salaam. Operators of upcountry buses and those travelling to neighbouring countries have officially started using the ultra-modern Magufuli Bus Terminal instead of the old facility at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam.

This comes hardly a day after President John Magufuli inaugurated the new facility on Wednesday, located in Mbezi Ward, Ubungo Municipality in Dar es Salaam.

The completed bus terminal, for which some users have pointed out some of its short comings, has cost Sh50.9 billion. The Citizen arrived at the new terminal in the early hours of yesterday and witnessed operations in progress.

However, some bus drivers and travellers complained about poor the arrangement bus parking lots and a ticketing procedures.

IMO Express Bus Company driver Hance Mwamsele said he was happy to have shifted to the new terminal despite the annoyances of parking as a result of its existing arrangement.

“The Ubungo Bus Terminal had no enough parking space compared to this one, whose problem is that every bus driver wants to park where there are many passengers or near the exit.

“There is a need for its management to sit down and organise everything so that every bus company could know where to park,” said Mr Mwamsele.

Baraka Ndabisye, who was a traveller, said the new bus terminal was modern, but also complained about its arrangement and that travellers spent a lot of time locating ticketing offices and buses.

KSK Bus Company agent Mwanaidi Lukindo said there were still some challenges facing the new bus terminal including many would-be-passengers not knowing where it is located, suggesting that the exercise of shifting operations there should be step by step.

“Many travellers still go to the Ubungo Bus Terminal and another challenge has been electronic ticket machines, which are slow in issuing tickets,” said Lukindo.

For his part, a member of the executive committee of the Tanzania Bus Owners Association (Taboa), Mr Mustafa Mwalongo, said the bus parking arrangement was made three days ago in their absence.

However, he said they will address some challenges after communicating with the relevant authorities including proper locations of their offices.

At the Ubungo Bus Terminal, The Citizen just found small cars and some traders doing business as usual.

Cold drink trader Said Mwamba said he had not shifted from the Ubungo Bust Terminal because there were still some activities going on, believing that he had still some customers.

Bodaboda taxi driver Beda Joseph said when he would shift from the Ubungo Bus Terminal when the time was ripe as he believed there were still some customers who needed his services from the location.