Latra director general Habibu Suluo said that between December 1 and 20 this year, total fare collections amounted to Sh71 billion, of which nearly Sh8 billion was paid through online platforms, while about Sh63 billion was paid in cash.
Dar es Salaam. Passenger uptake of the online bus fare payment system remains low, the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) has said, prompting renewed calls for travellers to use digital platforms to curb ticket touting and ensure fares paid are properly captured in the system.
Latra director general Habibu Suluo said that between December 1 and 20 this year, total fare collections amounted to Sh71 billion, of which nearly Sh8 billion was paid through online platforms, while about Sh63 billion was paid in cash.
“This means only about 20 percent of passengers are buying tickets online, while the majority still pay in cash,” Dr Suluo said.
He encouraged passengers to adopt online ticket purchases to prevent overcharging and to guarantee accurate fare payment.
“If you can send money to a relative through your phone, why not buy your ticket online? This ensures you pay the correct fare and are not overcharged,” he said.
Dr Suluo also called on bus owners to ensure payments are made through electronic systems so that revenues can be properly monitored by the regulator.
He added that online ticketing captures passengers’ full details in the system, enhancing accountability and security in public transport operations.
Dr Suluo said Latra conducted a nationwide inspection exercise from December 8 to 22, during which 4,405 vehicles were inspected, most of them at the Mikese inspection station.
The exercise, he said, was part of joint efforts with road safety stakeholders to support the government’s drive to reduce road accidents and ensure safe travel, particularly during the busy festive season.
“This is a critical period when all stakeholders must work together to reduce road accidents and ensure citizens travel safely to meet their loved ones,” he said.
According to Dr Suluo, Latra has intensified inspections across the country to ensure the availability of safe and reliable transport services amid high travel demand.
Inspection centres have been established nationwide to verify compliance with licence conditions and assess the quality of services offered to the public.
“From these inspections, we identified 349 offences. The most common violations include failure to issue electronic tickets, non-compliance with licence conditions and some drivers operating without i-buttons,” he said.
Despite the violations, Dr Suluo said the overall road safety situation remains relatively stable, with no major incidents reported so far.
He added that Latra continues to issue emergency permits where there are shortages of transport services, noting that 252 temporary permits have so far been issued by Latra offices across the country.
Providing further data, Dr Suluo said that from the beginning of this month to date, 1,978,100 passengers have travelled using regulated bus services, equivalent to the number of tickets issued during the period.
