Dar es Salaam commuters irked by ferry fares

Dar es Salaam commuters irked by ferry fares

Sunday, 08 January 2012 19:27 Kenan Kalagho

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - An estimated 50,000 Dar es Salaam city residents who commute daily by ferry between Magogoni and Kigamboni have been irked by the Government's move to hike fares by 100 per cent.

(Residents of Dar es salaam cros the ferry to Kigamboni as they experience one of the ferry on breakdown. The cost of ferry between magogoni and Kigamboni has increased from the prevoious Tsh 100 to Tsh 200 per passenger. Photo by Kenan Kalagho)
The ire of the residents of Kigamboni, area east of Dar port, has turned into a political affairs instead of financial following protests by the residents supported by their Members of Parliament.
They are reacting against the announcement by Works, John Pombe Magufuli's announcement of fares hike from Tshs 100 (US$0.06) to Tshs 200 ($0.12). In his adamant refusal to reconsider fares the hike, Minister Magufuli, told those not ready to pay the new fares they could 'dive to cross the 200-metre water stretch,' which otherwise takes five minutes to cross.
Also gone up are charges for cars from Tshs 800 ($0.50) to Tshs 1,500 ($1.0) for cars, pick-up vans up from Tshs 1,000 ($0.63) to Tshs 2,000($1.3)  and 3.5 tonne vehicles up from Tshs 5000 ($3.12) to 7,500 ($4.70).
ross to work places.
The loud and angry complaints brought in MPs who appealed to Prime Minister Peter Mizengo Pinda to intervene to stop the fare hike.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam last week Minister Magufuli said that the increase of the fares was necessary to raise to meet increased running costs of the two ferries which have been generating daily revenue of $5,000, but collections after the fares hikes it shot up to $9,000, although thefts are still tormenting the collection. It is claimed thefts through fake tickets sales, up almost twice. The Government has yet to find a solution to the fraud.
Dr Magufuli said ferries fares have remained unchanged in the last 14 years since it was last set in 1997.
Kigamboni residents face numerous shortages to such basic social and financial services such as banking - even ATMs and food markets.
Several residents interviewed by the East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week, were of the view that the 100 percent fares increase was just "too high" considering that Kigamboni ward was a hardship area of the City residents.
The Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra), a government agency mandated with regulate transport fares among others, was also asked to intervene the best way it can.
One resident Ms Mariam Omary said: "We don't have the money due to the economic hardship of the country and our lives are worse than before due to inflation and high food prices, now the hiked fare in ferries."

Hits: 583

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

Name