FORUM: Was it fair for Sumatra to increase bus fares?

FORUM: Was it fair for Sumatra to increase bus fares?

via Magazetini - Soma Magazeti ya Tanzania - Read Tanzania Newspapers on 4/19/13

The move by Sumatra to raise bus fares has elicited negative reaction from many people. They say the poorest among Tanzanians can no longer take trips. Indeed, they note, the old travel bill was already too heavy for most. Many lay the blame squarely on the regulators. Sumatra, they say, should have done better research. Here are a few comments, in our readers' own words: Max Jumapili, Musoma This is not fair. How can Sumatra raise the bus fare by up to 40 percent without considering the real life of Tanzanians, especially those in rural areas? Many people will not be able to travel because they can't afford the new fares. The government has done nothing to boost the income of wananchi; now, how are they going to cope with the new fares at this rate of inflation that we are experiencing? Sumatra should have considered the actual income of ordinary Tanzanians. I think this new fare is for wealthy Tanzanians and not for us the have-nots. Anonymous via SMS It is unjust to increase transport fares without proper research. The domestic salary currently stands at Sh80,000. Imagine a person who has to travel from Mbagala to Msasani. She or he has to travel in three buses, meaning that the passenger has to spend Sh2400 in all. Now,where is the justification of having a decent meal for a family of four at Sh3000? We are destroying our society, for the fare is unjust for minimum salary earners. It is immoral to make life difficult for this group of people. Anonymous via SMS Sumatra's decision to increase transport fare by 40 per cent is not justified because the authority did not consider other causes for the increase in running costs for the commuter bus services (daladala). Fake spare parts, poor infrastructure and unnecessary levy are to blame. Daladalas, for instance, operate in urban centres, where they get several commuters, but ultimately, they don't generate much revenue because of getting stuck in traffic jams due to poor infrastructure. They also have to buy spare parts regularly, and usually, these are sub-standard. Abida Joseph, Musoma These people are utterly unrealistic. Previously, we thought that aviation transport was for rich people and that surface transport was mainly for us the poor wananchi. How come then, that they raise the fares without considering the economical status of people who depend on it ? What saddens me, in relation to the case of Mara Region with which I am familiar, operators of ordinary buses will charge fares for luxury buses but no punitive masures will be taken against the culprits.