THE Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) needs to carry out a comprehensive audit of systems designed to curb revenue loss and prevent tampering with vehicle tracking devices (VTDs), legislators have demanded.

 Johnston Mutasingwa, acting chairman of the Infrastructure standing committee of the National Assembly, issued this instruction when committee members visited LATRA regional offices in the capital on Monday to assess the regulator agency’s performance, operational systems and take up of regulatory changes.

Expressing concern over repeated interference with installed systems for vehicle tracking, he affirmed that the government had introduced multiple mechanisms to strengthen revenue collection and improve road safety.

Yet some individuals undermine the efforts by tampering with vehicle tracking and speed-limiting devices, he said, underlining the committee’s readiness to institute a review with a view to amending existing legislation to curb ambiguities and strengthen enforcement.

“Interference with speed-governing systems installed in commercial vehicles is a serious matter. It threatens public safety and must be addressed immediately. We have instructed LATRA and other relevant authorities to intensify oversight to ensure these systems, installed at significant public expense, are protected from misuse,” he stated.

Urging stricter law enforcement, where penalties are severe enough to deter misconduct, he said that the police, LARTA, and other authorities need to work closely on the matter. “Where gaps exist in the law or in regulations the committee will provide guidance and propose amendments to ensure effective service delivery and public safety,” he declared.

As the committee acknowledged LATRA’s progress in improving road safety, citing reductions in accidents and enhanced public access to travel information, LATRA director general Habibu Suluo said that the authority has successfully implemented an electronic ticketing system for upcountry bus services in line with the 2024 Electronic Ticketing Regulations.

“Passengers can now access travel information, compare operators, departure times and fares, paying for tickets electronically using smartphones,” he said, pointing at the ‘safari ticket Tanzania’ mobile application/

It is available on major app stores as an integrated platform enabling travellers across the country to purchase tickets instantly and receive confirmation digitally, as passengers travelling between regional centres can now book, pay and receive tickets without relying on cash transactions. This improves transparency and accountability across the sector, he stated.

Last December more than 3.1m passengers used electronic ticketing, generating 110bn/- in revenue in fully traceable digital transactions, he said, applauding the system as having transformed the bus transport sector.

It previously relied on large cash payments with limited traceability but regulators now have significantly improved oversight, transparency and accountability, meanwhile as ten companies successfully met requirements to provide digital ticketing for city buses as well, he further noted.

The reforms are a critical step in modernising land transport, strengthening regulatory supervision and enhancing road safety while ensuring passengers benefit from more efficient and reliable services, he added.