Stakeholders express caution on 24-hour upcountry bus operations

Dar es Salaam. As the government permits upcountry buses to operate 24 hours a day, there is a need for bus drivers to be extra careful and make driving safer at night, despite positive progress in infrastructure and security through police patrol.

The new decision, according to the government, comes after positive changes in infrastructure and security through police patrols, and after considering the views of various stakeholders in the transportation sector.

Speaking at the Mwananchi Twitter Spaces discussions on Wednesday they applauded the government for lifting the ban, saying it will stimulate the economy of the country, though they cautioned that driving at night has higher accident risks.

They said drivers should maintain speed limits because of poor visibility, which is assisted by headlights.

“Even if you are familiar with the road, it is advisable not to go over the speed limit at night. It is less easy to control the vehicle and negotiate corners or potholes at nighttime,” said a stakeholder who sometimes drives at night when he visits his home village.

The Tanzania Bus Owners Association (Taboa) secretary general, Mr Priscus Joseph, says that allowing upcountry buses to travel 24 hours a day is a result of pressure from stakeholders, including passengers.

The proof of this is the fact that coaches that start their journeys at 03am attract more passengers than those that set out at 05am and 06am.

But the risk of accidents persists, Mr Joseph says. According to him, in recent days, some of the buses that travel at night have been involved in road accidents.

He cautioned bus drivers against taking advantage of less monitoring at night to drive at high speed.

“To avoid road accidents, drivers who are found to be going over the speed limit or tampering with the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) will be penalised or have their licenses suspended,” he noted during a Mwananchi Twitter Spaces discussion on Wednesday.

He added that Taboa is planning to seek an audience with the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) and the police force to ask if they can install traffic lights at sharp corners and in areas where drivers are not allowed to overtake or overspeed.

Mr Joseph explained that Taboa is ready to collaborate and offer any required support to ensure all upcountry buses have black box devices that can easily identify the source of accidents if they occur.

He expressed his disappointment at betting on bus arrivals at specific terminals.

“It is unfortunate that some people collude with bus drivers to create WhatsApp groups for betting on which bus will arrive fast,” Mr Joseph noted.

According to him, it is disappointing that after betting, they call bus drivers, telling them that if any one of them arrives at the destination first, they will be given Sh100,000 or Sh200,000 as a winner.

This must come to an end. The authorities should look at this as a serious matter that needs to be dealt with accordingly because drivers are supposed to put the safety of passengers first.

Recently, Latra’s director general, Habibu Saluo, suspended nine upcountry buses from operating at night after being found guilty of tampering with the VTS, which threatens the lives of passengers.

He said: “Bus drivers have been betting on who will arrive at the destination earlier, and the bus that arrives earlier is received with a water salute as a sign of victory.”

In another development, Latra withdrew the permission of 38 upcountry coaches belonging to New Force Enterprises to start their journeys at 3am and 5am after five of its buses were involved in accidents in four weeks and due to some other irregularities.

As part of preparations for 24-hour operations, the regulator allowed some buses to start their journeys at 3am and 5am.

Highlighting some of the regularities, Mr Suluo said the company was engaging drivers who were not certified by the authority and who refused to use the i-button system.

The i-button system is used to track a driver behind the wheel at a particular time.

A passenger, Ms Ruth Mufilinge, said that the major factor that will help reduce road accidents is the improvement of road safety legislation and ensuring the roads are in good condition.

Ms Mufilinge, who is also a business lady, stressed that the respective authorities should enhance vehicle inspection to curb the problem.

The chief executive officer of the Association for Passengers Rights, Mr Ambakisye Mwakifwange, said that to ensure the safety of passengers, the Ministry of Works and Transport should collaborate with various authorities to conduct an evaluation and identify why some roads still have potholes while other roads lack various road signs.

“When an accident occurs or a passenger bus gets involved in a road accident, authorities should not complain before making any evaluations on the quality of the road and its condition. Most of the roads are damaged on the edges, making them unsafe to drive at night,” he said during the Mwananchi Twitter Spaces discussions.

In that case, bus drivers will always want to drive in the middle of the road, adding that if there is an emergency or a vehicle coming in front of them, it becomes difficult for the bus to avoid an accident or maintain balance.

Mr Mwakifwange stressed that if the quality of the roads is not improved, night travel would be risky.

As many roads pass through forests, there is a need to prepare adequate post-accident care and evacuation strategies.

He noted that bus operators should designate a place for bus drivers to exchange driving duties.

Bus drivers should not share the same ride; one must be located in another city so that he or she can have enough time to sleep on a proper bed, he noted.

“Letting them sleep on the bus as they await their turn to drive is not a good idea,” he said.

The head of the public education unit at the Police Force, ACP Steven Deleli, said that the issue of around-the-clock bus operations is not a new experience in Tanzania.

“The most important thing is that bus operators realise that they conduct a business that focuses on transporting passengers who have families that depend on them,” he said during the Mwananchi Twitter Spaces discussion.

He noted that what is needed is for transporters to ensure their drivers are given enough time to rest.

The Safe Speed Foundation chairperson and a member of the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania, Henry Bantu, noted that many drivers don’t have job contracts, which affects professionalism in the sector.

They are being forced to drive for long hours, which can cause accidents.

He spoke about the importance of training drivers on road safety.

“Legally, a driver is required to drive for only eight hours a day. But in Tanzania, few companies comply with this regulation. Most of them want the car to be on the road for 12 hours,” he added.