PUBLIC transport looks like the puzzle that cannot be easily solved amid enhanced measures to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country.
With the implementation of the 'levelseat' order to curb coronavirus spread in public buses in full swing, a new problem has emerged.
Incidents of commuters scrambling to make it to their destinations and crowds of stranded passengers in bus stops pose yet another big challenge in the fight against the deadly virus, the 'Daily News' can exclusively report.
A week-long survey at different bus stations in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam has revealed terrible scenes of jam-packed commuters pushing one another as they wrestled their way into the buses.
The situation was more evident particularly for buses heading to and from Mbagala, Mbezi, Gongolamboto, Buguruni as well as at the city centre, thus, putting commuters at high risk.
Yesterday, the 'Daily News' captured a scary moment of desperate passengers racing against moving cars while scrambling to get in at Mbezi Main bus terminal.
The frenzied scramble lasted for some minutes, upon which the bus was full with unlucky ones missing out on seats despite efforts and had to step out of the vehicle.
One of the distressed commuters, Mr Hamis Abdallah, who tried hard but failed to get a seat, told this reporter that he was aware that scrambling put him at risks such as contracting the Coronavirus but he had no option but to fight hard in order to get to his working place.
"Scrambling is the only thing you can do to get into the bus and have a seat. In the end it's a muscular passenger who can make it," Mr Abdallah noted with concern.
The same situation is common at Tazara bus station for commuters heading to Mbagala. The place usually is crowded with passengers waiting for a bus from Gongolamboto or Ubungo to Mbagala.
With buses required to pick passengers according to their seating-capacity, most come at the station already fully-occupied, only a few with some empty seats stop to pick passengers.
Stranded passengers are hence compelled into scrambling in a desperate attempt to occupy the few remaining empty seats.
The survey showed that there are still a few bus operators who ignore the 'levelseat' directive especially during night, taking advantage of the absence of traffic police officers.
Despite repeated calls by health experts and leaders to members of the public to observe social distancing, the crisis in public transport forces means that many commuters fail to heed to the calls.
Under such circumstances efforts to curb the spread of the deadly virus are, thus, undermined.
Commenting on the situation, the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) appealed to the police force to supervise every bus station to ensure that passengers queue when boarding the buses like it is the case at Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
"We request the police force to ensure that there is an officer at each bus stop to control scrambling," LATRA's Director General, Gilliard Ngewe told the 'Daily News' yesterday.
Last week, the authority invited owners of the buses to apply for short-term licenses to start offering transport to city commuters to ease transport chaos.
The LATRA called upon individuals, schools or other institutions that have idling buses to request for temporary licenses for offering services in city areas.
The owners could submit their requests at any LATRA's office near their areas and conditions for providing transport in the cities would be considered.
Speaking over response from the private bus owners, so far, Mr Ngewe said they have received many applications and that more requests for licenses were being submitted by bus owners.
When the 'Daily News' reached Traffic Police commander, Fortunatus Musilimu to find out his unit's response to the crisis, he said other regions were not experiencing such a situation, except Dar es Salaam.
He therefore referred this reporter to Dar es Salaam Police Commander over the matter.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Acting Dar es Salaam Police Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP), Camillus Wambura said he would find out from his subordinates whether that was the real situation at the bus stations before issuing any statement.
"I have only two days since I have been made Acting Regional Commander so I will ask the OCDs if that is the situation and we will discuss what to do," he assured.
Unveiling new-look uniforms for commuter bus drivers and conductors in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Works, Transport and Communications Minister Isack Kamwelwe hailed operators in the public transport service for responding positively to the government's 'level seat' directive as part of coronavirus prevention measures.
Eng Kamwelwe admitted that he knew challenges would emerge in the wake of the new directive, but the important thing was to join efforts in combating the spread of the deadly disease.
Chairman of the Association of Bus Owners in Dar es Salaam (UWADAR), Mr Kismat Jaffar, meanwhile, appealed to the Traffic Police to reduce fines on bus operators, at least during this time of crises.
