Stakeholders differ on Dar commuter train fares

  TRL wants adults charged 800/-, students 100/-
  Passenger lobby proposes 300/- per trip

Stakeholders have proposed varying commuter fares at a Sumatra-sponsored meeting as launch of the Dar es Salaam city train services nears.

The fare proposals were submitted yesterday in Dar es Salaam by the commuter train operators, Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL), who proposed a fare of 800/- for adults and 100/- for students per trip.

Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara), on the other hand, proposed 700/- for adults and 100/- for students.

However, the Sumatra Consumer Consultative Council (CCC) proposed 350/- for adults and 150/- for students while a passenger lobby (CHAUKA) proposed 300/- for adults and 50/- for students.

TRL principal commercial manager Hassan Shaban said each TRL train is expected to carry 900 passengers per route.

He clarified that there will be six coaches per trip, one coach reserved for students and the remaining five for adults.

Shabaan said there will be three rounds in the morning and another three in the evening, making a total of 12 trips per day.

“TRL expects to carry a total of 10,800 passengers per day comprising 9,000 adults and 1,800 students, children,” said Shaban.

The commercial officer said the expected revenue was 7.4m/- per day, adding that estimated operational costs would be 916,000/- per day and maintenance cost would be 2.7m/- per day. He said other costs were estimated to be 2.1m/- per day.

Sumatra CCC executive secretary Oscar Kikuyo said that at the proposed 800/- fare most passengers would not use the service.

Kikuyo said at the set amount from Ubungo to the Station a passenger will be required to use 38,400/- per month, which he said was too high compared to 14,400/- on commuter buses per month.

For his part, Transport minister Dr Harrison Mwakyembe stressed that Dar es Salaam commuter train services will commence next week on October 29 at 06.00am.

Dr Mwakyembe made the remarks yesterday when opening the Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) master workers council in Dar es Salaam.

“At last the Dar es Salaam commuter train will start operating next week, and I’ll be the one to launch it. This milestone has been reached because of your contribution to ensure the services go well,” he said.

For his part, TRL managing director Kipallo Kisamfu said the workers should know that good performance of the railway depended on their creativity and accountability.

In another development, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) stated that it was today going to conduct the third trial run of its commuter service.

A statement availed to this paper from Tazara said the trial run would be taking place two days before the official launch on Sunday.

“This follows two earlier successful trial runs in September and October,” it said

Abdallah Shekimweri, the regional general manager, said the trial run would be the last one before the service comes on stream.

“We expect the Deputy Managing Director, Damas Ndumbaro, to grace the occasion," the statement said.

Recently, Transport deputy minister Dr Charles Tizeba told reporters in Dar es Salaam that the project would start with six train coaches, which were being repaired at the Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) workshop.

"I am satisfied with the progress of renovating the train wagons at the TRL workshop. Nine train wagons are about to be completed," he said after he paid an abrupt visit to the workshop.

He said the project would be carried out jointly by TRL and TAZARA and that the former would provide the project with 12 train coaches while the latter would chip in 14 wagons.

He said the Tazara train will ferry passengers between Makanga at Pugu in Ilala municipality and Kurasini in Temeke municipality, saying the train will stop at Tazara station on its way to Kurasini.