MORE than 2,000 residents of Lundusi Village in Songea District in Ruvuma Region are going to benefit economically from the construction of a modern bus terminal project in the village fetching an estimated budget worth 686mn/-.

The construction of the bus terminal which kicked off in August 2023 has so far generated more than 300 direct and indirect job opportunities for the residents of that village and from the neighboring villages.

The construction of the bus stand funded by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) has been completed by 78 percent and is expected to transform the economy of the people when it is fully completed in January 2025 and brought into 24-hours operation.

The bus stand is built 45 kilometers away from Songea town to the village and about 20 kilometers from Peramiho town. This distance has been a long-term challenge for the residents of the village in accessing upcountry transport services.

Residents of Lundusi village have been living in the middle of the challenge of getting easy travel services to Songea town and other neighboring places.

The same challenge has also been affecting the residents of the neighboring towns such as Peramiho and other wards of the district that are far from Songea Township.

Speaking about the implementation of TASAF projects executed in the Songea District Council including the Lundusi bus stand project, Songea Acting District Executive Director Hassan Mtamba said the construction of the bus stand is aimed at bringing to an end travel challenges by bringing the services even closer to people’s residence and relief them from  incurring high fare costs .

Mtamba said that the residents of the village have been struggling for travel services to be brought closer, thus making people’s lives easy for the challenge that has existed since the district was formed. 

"When this bus stand is completed and starts offering travel services, it will relieve the inconvenience and cost incurred by residents of this village and neighboring ones who have to go to Songea town for transport services to other regions, I commend the government through TASAF for providing us with this bus stand." he said. 

According to him, the bus stand is also going to benefit government employees of the district, some of whom have built their homes in the village. 

Lundusi Village Executive Officer, Imelda Mbawa said that people from the village and neighboring villages have faced hardships of traveling to other places where they have to go to Songea town to board buses. 

Mbawa said that people have been spending a lot of money, for example when a resident of the village wants to go to Dar es Salaam, Iringa and Mbeya, he has to leave early to spend a night in Songea so that he can take a bus the next day.

By doing so, travellers incur unnecessary extra expenses of accommodation, food and pay for the motorcycle to take them to Songea paying not less than 20,000/-.

A resident of the village who is also a member of the bus stand's construction committee, Henrick Haule said that when the stand is completed, it will provide opportunities for people, especially youth and women, to run small businesses and expand their income generating activities.

Haule commended TASAF for implementing the project that will stimulate the economic growth of individuals such as Bajaj and motorcycle drivers and food and fruit vendors.

Songea Municipality TASAF Programme Coordinator, Hosana Ngunge said the implementation of the project was based on the long requests of the village residents.

He said that the speed of construction of the stand is satisfactory. Under the existing agreement the project should be completed in January 2025.

He asserted that despite having a contractor in place who is continuing with the construction works, TASAF beneficiaries are taking part in the construction through the public works programmes (PWP) where they are paid for the jobs they do.

Project Construction Engineer Peter Mashine, said that as of last week construction work has been accomplished by 78 percent and the work is progressing at a satisfactory pace.

Mashine said that the construction started in August 2023 and when it is finished it will have a bus parking area, 36 shops for small businesses, a public toilet, an administration block and a security guards’ block.

Selina Kasembe, a resident of Lundusi village, said the project will enable residents to do various small businesses.

"This project will attract people from different places because it has attracted people from other tribes to come and buy plots in order to start development projects such as the construction of guest houses," said Kasembe.