|
Increased bus fares greeted with disbelief
2008-07-18 10:34:15
By Grace Tinda of IJMC
There is a wave of public grumbling over the new bus fares which become effective on August 1, this year.
Several people interviewed yesterday complained that the new bus fares did not match with the income level of a normal citizen.
A nurse matron who resides at Gongolamboto and works at Kunduchi, Riadha Masoud, said she had received the news on pending fare increases with shock.
``I am required to take two commuter buses which are all long hauls, and will therefore be required to spend over 2000/- per day. I just wondered how such expenditure can be sustained by a low wage worker who has other equally important needs to meet,`` Masoud told The Guardian.
She blamed the attitude of government authorities on people with higher standard of living, who did not use commuter buses, and so did not experience the hardships and suffering of people in the long income category.
A daladala driver, Hans Ningo, said that the government should find permanent solution to those who stood to be hit hard by the hiked transport costs.
``The hiking of bus fares is not a permanent solution because fuel prices continue to rise day in day out.
The government should look for a solution that will strike a balance between people`s incomes and bus fares,`` he advised.
A resident of Mwananyamala, Joseph Mdindile, commented that there was no proportionality between bus fares and fuel prices as the petroleum prices continued to rise daily.
He said major casualties of the new bus fares would be the commuter bus drivers who had to submit 50,000/- daily to mini bus owners, and 70,000/- to owners of large buses on daily basis.
He said a daladala driver normally spent 75,000/- per day on fuel.
A resident of Ukonga, Mashaka Mgao, was surprised by the decision to allow such high bus fare hikes when low wage workers were refused a minimum salary of 150,000/-, and even the proposed 100,000/- was not yet effective.
``Up to this moment, I have not been paid the increased minimum wage announced by the government, yet the same government has accepted the proposals by bus owners so quickly. How are we going to manage?`` he asked.
A student, Atra Haidary, said she was very disappointed because she knew very well that her parents would not afford to give her more than 500/- per day as she boards four buses per day.
``The bus fare has gone up but the income of my parents has not,`` she said.
Mark Masalla, a resident of Mbezi, supported the increase in commuter and upcountry bus fares because ``running these buses costs quite a lot, so the decision was wise.``
``I have parked my car at home because it costs over 20,000/- per day and I have begun using a daladala, so I understand the pinch of running a car, Masalla said.
On Tuesday, the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA) allowed an increase of commuter and upcountry bus fare by more than 40 per cent.
The rise was arrived at following the escalation of fuel prices which have considerably affected the operations of bus owners and transporters.
The new bus fares will become effective on August, 1 this year. Commuters in Dar es Salaam will pay 300/- for short distances, 400/- for middle distances and 500/- for longer distances covering 25 kilometres.
For distances between 25 and 30 kilometres, passengers will be required to pay up to 600/- per trip.
|
