Latra introduces longer commuter bus routes in Arusha, Dar and Dodoma

Dar es Salaam. The Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) has approved new longer routes for commuter buses, also known as Daladala, in three major cities as part of attempts to improve connectivity.

The initiative, which includes the cities of Dodoma, Arusha, and Dar es Salaam, intends to improve suburban connections and allow drivers to transport people more effectively without having to cancel routes.

Read: Why only buses with number plates D and E are allowed into new Mwenge terminal

Latra’s director general, Mr Habibu Suluo, told The Citizen that, to make the routes circular and improve access to services in some places, they have awarded licences to commuter buses to transport people as far as 40 kilometres, as opposed to the short routes that were previously issued.

“We used to give licences for distances ranging from five to 20 kilometres. This effort will help cut the cost of fares for commuters, which most of them pay when switching buses,” he said.

According to him, new and longer routes in Dar es Salaam have been established, including Kivukoni to Bunju Sokoni via Bagamoyo Road, Gerezani to Bunju Sokoni via Bagamoyo Road, and Buyuni Sokoni to Magufuli Bus Terminal via Kinyerezi.

Other routes lead from Bunju Sokoni to Magufuli Bus Terminal via Madale, Mbande Kisewe to Gerezani and Kilungule via Chang’ombe and Usalama. Mvuti to Machinga Complex, via Tabata Segerea.

Ngobedi B to Machinga Complex by Nyota Njema, Kitonga to Gerezani via Kilwa routes.

As for Arusha, Latra has made changes to the daladala routes by converting some routes into circular ones to expand service availability and connectivity. Mr Suluo mentioned new routes from Mrombo through Impala, Philips, Sanawari, and Arusha Technical College to ‘Fire’ and back to Mrombo.

In Dodoma, which is the capital city, new routes have been established to access new residential areas due to the rapid growth of the city.

Some of the routes include the Machinga Complex to Chidachi, the Machinga Complex to Nzuguni, and the Machinga Complex to Swaswa.

“The initiative to relocate the bus station to Machinga Complex has helped establish circular routes in the heart of Dodoma City, thereby increasing access to services for the citizens, “he said.

Mr Suluo gave an example of such a route: from Hospital Road through Majengo Market to Machinga Complex, then through the airport and back to the city centre.

A commuter, Mr Patrick Kisimbe, welcomed Latra’s initiative, saying that it will make it easier for passengers to travel from one point to another at reasonable fares and get to their destination within a short period of time.

“We spend most of our time on roads that incur costs because of short routes. We get dropped off before getting to the destination, which makes us start looking for other daladala’s,” he said.

A bus driver plying from Segerea to Tegeta Nyuki, Mr Ally Rashid, said introducing a 40-kilometre route would not be fair enough for them because some of the roads are usually congested with traffic jams, which makes daladala consume a lot of fuel.

“If the roads are not usually congested with cars, Latra’s initiative would have been beneficial for both daladala owners and us drivers. In this case, drivers will be making U-turns to escape traffic congestion and meet the boss’ estimates,” he said.