MEASURES are being taken by the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) to address the ticketing complication where passengers exploit the loose controls to avoid paying correct fares.

Jamila Mbarouk, the TRC head of communications, told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, that a recent investigation by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in Morogoro uncovered significant ticket evasion on electric-powered SGR trains.

Inspectors have now been deployed to check tickets at the point of arrival to confirm that it corresponds with the starting point and the final destination indicated on the ticket, to check situations where passengers skip stops indicated on the tickets to go on longer journeys, avoiding correct fare payments. 

Passengers will now be required to present their identity cards to purchase tickets, with these IDs being verified during the scanning process, as some passengers have been buying multiple tickets and reselling them at inflated prices.

The police have already arrested individuals involved in ticket evasion who will face legal proceedings in court, she said, insisting that not only will ticket purchasers furnish IDs, and no more than one ticket can be bought per ID. 

The names on the ticket must match those on the ID, she elaborated, affirming that tickets will now be scanned at the start and at the end of the journey, while auxiliary inspectors will ion hand inside the trains to conduct inspections.

Christopher Mwakajinga, the regional PCCB commander in Morogoro, cautioned speed train passengers to adhere to fare regulations and ensure their payments correspond to their travel distances. 

Non-compliance will result in legal repercussions to safeguard civic integrity and sustainability of railway services, he said, after the PCCB report highlighted a concerning trend of passengers traveling from Dar es Salaam without proper fare payment. 

This has resulted in losses for TRC, occasioning purchasing tickets for shorter distances, such as Soga, Ruvu and Ngerengere stations while actually travelling to Morogoro or Dodoma, or stations in-between, he said.

TRC officials will oversee ticket inspections and take stringent measures against spotted evaders, with evasion penalties and fines significantly increased, he added.