Latra prepares regulations to boost e-ticketing

Dar es Salaam. The Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) is currently preparing guidelines in order to streamline and bolster the electronic ticketing system (e-ticketing).

The regulations also seek to eliminate inconveniences for passengers as a result of the fleet owners habit of constantly changing seat numbers and buses.

Latra’s corporate communication officer, Mr Salum Pazzy, told The Citizen yesterday that the effort will enable the respective authorities and inspectors to access information easily.

“We are going to link the vehicle tracking system (VTS) and the e-ticketing system so that passengers can get reliable information that cannot be changed at will about the particulars of the coaches and seat numbers,” he said.

The new guidelines will force bus operators and agents to respect the details that have been entered in passengers’ bookings and will ensure safety and comfort for travellers.

Mr Pazzy said that e-ticketing was going well but that there were a few unfaithful agents and operators who kept changing passengers’ booking conditions without prior notice.

He added that Latra and a team of inspectors are going on with countrywide inspections that are conducted in every region of the country. Explaining further, Mr Pazzy said Latra will slap agents or operators with penalties of up to Sh250, 000 when they admit to an offence and another Sh500,000 when they are found guilty by a court of law.

We have also introduced a toll-free number, 088001119, to enable passengers to report any inconveniences they encounter.