Abdu Kambaya, CUF Deputy Director for Publicity and Public Relations
A consensus on lowering of bus fares must be reached between the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) and the Tanzania bus owners Association (Taboa) to ease the financial burden currently weighing on the citizen, opposition Civic United Front (CUF) has said.
The call comes but a day after the commuter bus owners refused to lower transport fares yet again despite the continuous decline of oil prices.
“CUF believes that if Taboa and Sumatra discuss the matter in depth, they will resolve to lowering the prices,” Abdual Kambaya, the party’s Deputy Director for Publicity and Public Relations said in a media statement released yesterday.
“The idea is to ensure that the citizenry also benefit from the declining oil prices,” he said.
“The party also wants the government to consider lowering other life expenses especially all consumer products that are complimentary oil products,” the official urged the government on behalf of CUF.
“The party also wants the government to consider lowering other life expenses especially all consumer products that are complimentary oil products,” the official urged the government on behalf of CUF.
He said for normal calculations, fall of oil price in the world and local market should be followed or accompanied with lowering of commodity and social service prices.
Generally in Tanzania, Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene have dropped from over 2200/-, 2100/ and 2000/- per litre respectively between mid last year to around 1600/- now.
“It is dubious to many Tanzanians that despite the drastic fall of oil prices, the price of commodities and social services remain very high…they (wananchi) do not see any effect for the price fall,” he said.
Kambaya said it was the expectation of the public that with the drop of oil prices then prices of electricity and other commodities would follow suit.
The opposition party also cited and condemned the increase of train fares arguing that the opposite should have happened, fares ought to have been reduced not increased.
On Wednesday this week, the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority Consumer Consultative Council (Sumatra CCC) again called for the lowering of transport fares.
It suggested that, all urban commuter buses fares be reduced to 300/- from the current 400/- for every 10kms route vehicles and for upcountry luxury bus fares to be reduced to 29,000/- instead of the current 36,000/-.
However, the proposal was refused by the owners of commuter buses whom like the train authority officials actually suggested that fares remain the same or be increased citing high operation costs an argument that Sumatra brushed aside as untrue.
Presenting consumers’ views earlier this week, Sumatra Consumer Consultative Council, Executive Secretary Dr Oscar Kikoyo, said a drop in oil is normally accompanied or followed by reduction of transport fares and other complimentary products and services.
Dr Kikoyo said that according to their proposal, fares for luxury bus (Scania) should be 29,000/- instead of the current 36,000, and fares for ordinary buses should be 17,000/- instead of 22,000/-, while fares for (Yuntong) luxury buses should be reduced to 22,000/- from the current 36,000/-.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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