Efforts to modernise Dar transport meet obstacles

Dar es Salaam. Efforts to modernise Dar es Salaam transport are meeting serious hurdles as potential operators are failing to comply with requirements.

In March this year, the government announced the first sealed bid to look for eligible transport companies to provide commuter bus services in the city.

But the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) says only seven companies responded to the bid and only two of them returned the tenders in time.

“Both the two bidders who returned the tender in time failed to meet the required specifications. So we are planning to re announce the tender in November this year,” said Sumatra road licensing manager Leo Ngowi.

Among the specifications required for a company to win the tender are that it must be licensed in Tanzania, have an address and company structure, work plan, a modern garage and storage, a budget, a plan on vehicle management and inspection.

Others are having not less than 100 vehicles with the capacity of carrying more than 70 passengers at a time, a ticketing issuance system, an income control system and a plan to restrict touts, route plan and follow-up, drivers and conductors recruitment procedures.

The issued bid is aimed at covering commuter buses operating on Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Kilwa roads.

The government is planning to announce afresh its tender for establishing transport companies to provide commuter bus services after bidders in the first tender failed to meet the required needs.

However, commuter bus owners say that these requirements are too much for local companies to meet.

“It is very difficult for local companies to have 100 vehicles with the capacity of carrying more than 70 passengers. We urge the government to consider the income of its citizens,” says daladala owner Geofrey Bakari.

He says it is difficult for locals to unite and form companies. “I advise the government to conduct a survey which will examine why older commuter companies collapsed. This will guide us before we form these companies.”

Dar es Salaam Commuter Bus Owners Association chairman Mashaka Karume, explains that the most difficult conditions are for transport companies to have two years of audit reports and have modern garages .

“These two factors are the biggest challenge.”

He says transport companies have inadequate capital.

“I appeal to commuter bus owners to join hands so as not to be left out of the Dart [Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit] project,” he says.

He would like commuter bus owners to be active to tap opportunities offered by Dart.

“We have known this project since 2002, if we could be active enough we could have formed eight companies so far.”

The government since last year called on commuter bus owners to form transport companies to serve the city.

According to Sumatra, the move is aimed at improving the provision of commuter bus services in the city and prepare commuter bus owners to participate in the Dart project.

But some commuter bus owners are reluctant to form companies, fearing the companies would collapse.

Dar es Salaam has 6,820 daladalas and 3,700 owners. It is difficult for the government to monitor all these owners

Daladala owner Luca Mashauri, urges the government to first train drivers and conductors before the system starts.

“We see accidents always, and these are due to unqualified drivers. Although they have licences, their qualifications are questionable,” he says.

“It is difficult for us to obtain qualified drivers if the government does not train them. Otherwise the plan of forming companies should be postponed.”

According to Mr Ngowi, it is upon commuter bus owners to organise themselves in companies so that they can tap the opportunity offered by the Dart project.

“Commuter bus services provided in the city have many shortcomings due to bus owners’ failure to supervise their drivers. That is why many people prefer private transport, which in turn increases congestion.”

He says by having companies, drivers and conductors will have many benefits such as having insurance and accessing loans.

“If you fail to organise yourselves and form companies, you will automatically be kicked out of business, because we cannot wait any longer for this project to start,” warns Mr Ngowi.

Dart chief executive officer Asteria Mlambo, says the Dart project cannot be avoided because Dar es Salaam City is growing rapidly and the number of vehicles is increasing. “If this situation continues, the city will be congested and the situation will be pathetic. Even commuter bus owners will fail to obtain the expected revenue.”

The first phase of the Dart project will cover 20.9 kilometers, comprising 27 stages and two garages.

The first phase which is expected to be completed by the end of 2014, will see 460,000 passengers handled a day by using 145 big buses.

Sumatra planned to introduce transport companies to provide commuter bus services starting with Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Kilwa roads in Dar es Salaam.