Dar es Salaam. Long-distance bus operators in Dar es Salaam face regulatory action for picking up or dropping off passengers outside designated terminals, the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) has warned.
Latra Acting Manager for Passenger Vehicle Regulation and Dar es Salaam Regional Officer Patel Ngaiza said the authority would enforce licence conditions requiring operators to use Government-approved terminals for the start and end of their journeys.
The warning follows a directive by Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila for upcountry bus operators to return to their designated terminals as part of measures to ease traffic congestion and improve the management of passenger transport in the city.
Mr Ngaiza said the use of designated terminals was not a new requirement, but a condition already attached to bus operating licences.
“Every bus we license is given a schedule showing the station where it should start its journey and the station where it should end. Operators are required to follow that arrangement,” he said.
Under the existing arrangements, buses travelling to Dar es Salaam from the Northern, Central, Southern Highlands and Lake zones are required to terminate at the Magufuli Bus Terminal in Mbezi Luis.
Buses operating on routes from the Southern Zone are required to use the Mbagala Bus Terminal.
“There is no other location that we have authorised for these buses to terminate their journeys. They are required to follow the conditions set out in their licences,” Mr Ngaiza said.
He warned that Latra would take action against operators who breach their licence conditions and approved schedules once the period given by the regional administration expires.
Mr Ngaiza said enforcing the use of designated terminals was also critical for road safety because it enables authorities to conduct mandatory inspections before buses begin their journeys.
Latra works with other institutions responsible for road safety and passenger transport regulation to inspect buses before they leave for their destinations, he said.
“These inspections cannot be properly conducted if buses are parked or operating from unofficial locations. The designated terminals are the places where these inspections are supposed to take place,” he said.
He urged bus owners operating between Dar es Salaam and other regions to ensure their vehicles comply with the conditions of their licences, while calling on drivers and bus managers to cooperate with owners to restore operations to designated terminals.
Mr Ngaiza said operators had been given sufficient time to reorganise their services and return to terminals constructed and designated by the Government for long-distance passenger services.
“We are calling on all owners of buses providing services between Dar es Salaam and other regions to ensure their buses operate from the designated terminals. Drivers and managers should also cooperate with the owners to make sure the buses comply with the arrangements,” he said.
The enforcement is expected to return long-distance bus operations to designated terminals while strengthening vehicle inspections, road safety monitoring and traffic management in Dar es Salaam.
