UDA-RT Managing Director David Mgwassa
SUMATRA Managing Director Gillird Ngewe invited public fare
proposals after all fares proposed by the operator of interim services,
UDA-RT Company, were rejected by the consultative stakeholders’ meeting
held at the Karimjee hall in the city at the start of the week.
The managing director swore impartiality in handling the issue,
saying the fares to be announced by SUMATRA shall be final and will have
to be adopted by the operator of the interim services.
“As the regulator, we do not partially consider only proposals made
by the operator but we consider and respect other proposals and views,”
he reassured the well-attended attentive meeting.
He commended the spirit of the meeting and the lively debate of
stakeholders, calling on Tanzanians to stick to that culture. He said
the interests of the operator, the consumers and the nation will
collectively be taken into account in determining the fares.
“The proposals presented by UDA-RT have been exhaustively discussed
and the point has been made. The huge majority here wants them
reviewed. I assure you we shall impartially review the proposals, all
your observations and the written proposals we shall receive from the
public,” he pledged.
Ngewe used the opportunity to call on bus operators to adopt
countrywide proposed fares to enrich the culture of observing the law
and doing business that takes care of the interests of all parties
involved.
UDA-RT Managing Director David Mgwassa, welcomed the views of the
stakeholders’ meeting, pledging to use them in making their final fare
proposals but asked SUMATRA to consider what he called ‘prevailing
operational costs’ so that the operator and commuters can both benefit
from this scheme.
UDA-RT proposed 1,200/- for the Kimara-Kivukoni route, 700/- for
Mbezi-Kimara and 1,400/- for feed routes to trunk road. All were
rejected in the Tuesday’s meeting.
The Executive Secretary of the SUMMATRA Consumers’ Council, Dr
Oscar Kikoyo, called for retaining the present fares on all routes,
saying the measure would lessen the economic burden on shoulders of the
commuters. Stakeholders’ views, he said, should be priotised in
determining fares.
He said the new fares should be based on kilometres, rejecting the idea of having a fixed fare for a designated route.
“We know this is a big investment but in our view, this new bus
route scheme seeks to make lives of the people better so it is logical
to adopt the present fares during the interim service period,” he
argued.
A majority of contributors to the debate called for a fresh review of the UDA-RT proposals.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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