TZW
His decision was prompted by a strike staged by commuter bus owners yesterday, lamenting that the decision to terminate use of the town's busiest commuter bus terminal, Jamatini, and pushing it to the eastern NaneNane suburb greatly inconvenienced them and passengers alike. The suburb is located 12 kilometres out of town, along the Dodoma-Dar es Salaam highway.
Speaking at the Nane Nane Bus terminal after inspecting a number of bus stages under the proposed new routes scheme, Dr Mahenge halted it, tentatively restoring the status of the Jamatini bus stand. The bus owners’ strike greatly inconvenienced passengers, who resorted to options like walking and hiring motorcycle taxis (bodaboda) and bajajis. "After making an exploratory tour around, I noted that there were no commuter buses at the drop-off and pick-up points.
I am therefore directing that the Jamatini stand should continue to serve its role, pending the outcome of a meeting and decisions by stakeholders,” Dr Mahenge said, adding: "In two-months’ time, the Dodoma Municipal Executive Director has to come up with a plan on how best the activities of the commuter transport sub-sector should be conducted, to spare the people of inconveniences.”
He said the Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania Railways Corporation, Mr Masanja Kadogosa has agreed to the terminal being used temporarily, while regional authorities figured out where a permanent one should be established. Dr Mahenge instructed Dodoma regional traffic authorities to ensure that upcountry bus operators used the Nane Nane terminal.
The Dodoma Municipal Executive Director, Mr Godwin Kunambi, promised to work on a number of challenges that had been highlighted, one of them being maintenance of roads that were in bad shape.
Another was perennial power shortage, in respect of which he would hold discussions with authorities of the utility firm Tanesco. Before cancellation the routes, buses plying between the University of Dodoma (Udom) and Veyula were driving from Udom through the Prime Minister’s Office-General Hospital-Independence Square, Sango-NBC-Veyula.
From Veyula, the buses will now use the Paradise-Nyerere Square- Posta-Udom stretch. Buses from Nala were using the Sango-General Hospital-Posta-Benjamin Mkapa-Hospital stretch.
They will now use the Posta-General Hospital-Indepence Square–Nala stretch. A new route was created from Veyula to NaneNane. Buses will use Paradise, Nyerere- CBE-NaneNane and from NaneNane to CBE-Carnival to General Hospital-Independence- Sango, then NBC to Veyula.
From Chang'ombe commuter buses will pass through Paradise, Nyerere-CBE-NaneNane. They will return through CBE-Carnival- General Hospital-Independence, Sango to Chang'ombe. From St Gema, buses heading to Swaswa or Nanenane will pass through Paradise-Nyerere, and CBE and from NaneNane, they will go past the CBE stop at Carnival and use the same route towards St Gema.
Daladalas from Nkuhungu will stop at Sango, General, CBE to NaneNane and return through Carnival and Sango. Other changes announced include the commuter buses from Mkonze going through Kikuyu, Majengo, General, CBE to Nanenane and back via CBE, carnival, General, Kikuyu and Majengo.
Those starting off at Swaswa will proceed to Uzunguni and NaneNane and stop at CBE; Carnival to Sabasaba Road, Makole and back to CBE