Dar es Salaam. Several road and marine transport companies have announced plans to halt their services between October 28 and 30 to allow citizens to participate in the October 29, 2025, polls.
The decision has sparked debate, with the Passengers’ Rights Association describing the move as unjustified and contrary to public interest.
Among them are bus firms operating long-distance routes from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, Tarime (Mara), Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Tabora, Mpanda (Katavi), Bukoba, Karagwe (Kagera) and Kigoma, which have said they will not operate on election day.
Marine operators, including Azam Marine and Zan Fast Ferries, have also announced that they will suspend services on October 29 along the Dar es Salaam–Zanzibar and Zanzibar–Dar es Salaam routes, resuming operations the following day.
Ticket booking platforms for the affected companies have likewise disabled bookings for that date.
When contacted, representatives of the Tanzania Bus Owners Association (Taboa), the Passengers’ Rights Association, and the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) gave differing views on the matter.
Taboa spokesperson Mustapha Mwalongo said the suspension was not a directive from the association but rather a business decision by individual companies concerned about low passenger turnout on polling day.
“It’s true some companies have decided to halt their routes, especially on October 29, because they expect fewer passengers,” said Mr Mwalongo. “As I’ve said, this is not Taboa’s official position. Each operator is making its own assessment. For instance, a company that normally sends five buses to Mbeya may only send one that day.”
He added that operators expect reduced demand as many citizens will focus on voting, prompting some to scale down services or temporarily stop operations.
However, the Passengers’ Rights Association dismissed the reasoning, calling it baseless and a violation of transport regulations.
“That’s a breach of transport rules,” said the association’s secretary, Hashim Omary. “Unless the government directs operators to suspend services, companies have no valid reason to stop offering transport. Everyone has personal and family responsibilities—people travel for medical reasons, emergencies, or other urgent matters.”
Mr Omary said the assumption that there will be no passengers is unfounded, adding that suspending travel could inconvenience many citizens.
“You cannot deny people transport because of voting. Even the government doesn’t support such a move. It’s simply fear that they’ll waste fuel,” he said. “We believe passenger demand will remain normal because life continues—people have illnesses, funerals, and family obligations. So stopping services makes little sense.”
Latra Director General Johansen Kahatano said the authority has been in contact with some operators to understand their reasons for the suspension.
“One mentioned security concerns, but the police have already assured the public of adequate security during the elections, so that shouldn’t be an issue,” he said. “We’ve communicated this to their association leadership. Most companies will operate as usual, with only a few suspending services for their own reasons.”
