Public holidays is a disguise for commuter bus operators in Dar city-Survey

The two days of the just ended public holidays for Christmas occasion has become a disguise to commuter bus operators popularly known as ‘Daladala’ in the city of Dar es Salaam, the survey has discovered that, during public occasions most commuter buses plying through various designated routes to their destination points within the city suburbs carries less passengers on board compared to ordinary working days of the week. Interviewed drivers by this paper yesterday in Das res Salaam said that, the two days of the religious festivity became a tough job as none of them could make considerable profit margin out of the daily collection targets required of them by their employers. The daily target set which range between Sh. 90,000/- and Sh. 130,000/- and about Sh. 300,000/- for Usafiri Dar es Salaam buses known in short as UDA buses respectively, is required to be remitted on daily basis. They said during such occasions the business realizes lower income due to few passengers found at various Daladala bus stations an aspect that they make lower profit levels than they could expect for the day. Hamza Rehani a driver of the bus plying between Mbagala and Mwenge route up to Makumbusho station said that, he had experienced a loss of over 40 percent of the total amount which is not accountable with the targeted amount to be submitted to his employer per day. 

According to him, despite most commuter divers used to offer discounts in a bid to let passengers board their busses for a certain distance, still the situation at the end is more alarming. However, he said adding that, they have to use other means to compensate the losses incurred in order to please their employers. Another commuter driver Omary Mwanjusi whom plies between Gongo la Mbotto and Ubungo countered by saying that, public days and weekends are bad days for them and the employers do not mind about except they pay as per their contract says. Contacted for clarification over the matter, UDA’s Chief Operation Officer Cyprian Malekela could not be in a position to respond when this writer connected him in a telephone interview. However, he said that as concerns the contract in between UDA and their bus operators it was none of the public business to know about the company’s affairs and declined to say anything further. Investigations by this paper has further discovered that, apart from occasion to be a disguise to commuter bus operators, a two day occasion had been a bless to city commuters in almost all suburbs in the city who spent fewer time to arrive at their working places. Ezekiel Kessy who resides at Kimara said that, he used to spend 3 hours during pick hours when coming and going back home after whole day’s business at the city centre. But to his great dismay, he found himself using only half an hour to arrive at his destination point. It has been discovered that, during the public holidays the Dar es Salaam city roads becomes decongested with vehicles, the situation which poses a relief to police traffic whom unlike other days are seemingly busy directing traffic at a most intersection.