|
Fate of touts to be decided next week
2005-07-09 07:32:45
By Peter Tindwa
The fate of dozens of touts who were last week ejected from bus stops in Dar es Salaam will be known next week after a meeting between the city and public service vehicle (PSV) owners.
A decision over whether to allow the touts back in bus stops was deferred to next week to give more time for consultations.
A meeting involving the Dar es Salaam City Council top brass, representatives of PSV owners and drivers’ association yesterday, resolved that the three parties hold another meeting next week to put the touts issue to rest.
Touts who operate in Dar es Salaam have been resisting the city council move to bar them from manning bus stops.
On Wednesday this week, they attacked employees of S. Group Security, a private firm that has been contracted to control public transport in the city.
Bus conductors and touts are aggrieved that they are being denied a source of livelihood.
The city council has entered into a three-year contract with SG Security to man all bus stops following public complaints that touts harass and molest commuters.
They have also been accused of being behind organised gangs that steal from unsuspecting commuters and traffic in hard drugs.
The head of City Planning, Environment and Transport, Raphael Ndunguru, said yesterday that city authorities and players in the daladala industry had agreed to hold another meeting next week to determine the fate of the touts.
’Our intention is to stop harassment by touts, restore security and order at all bus stops in the city,’ he said.
Nduguru said that yesterday’s meeting brought together representatives of Dar es Salaam commuter bus owners (Wamada), Tanzania Drivers Association (TDA) and Union of Tanzania Drivers (Uwata).
The 500/- levy by S. Group Security wants each daladala to pay daily would be used to rehabilitate shelters at bus stops, Ndunguru said.
’Part of the money will also go to Dar es Salaam Buses Owners Association (Daboa) to meet the cost of training of drivers,’ he said.
Ndunguru, however, said that 500/- levy would not affect commuter fares in the city.
Although SG Security workers were injured during Wednesday’s confrontation with touts and bus-conductors, no arrests have so far been made, Ndunguru said.
However, he warned: ’From today on, touts will be arrested and taken before the Sokoine Drive Magistrate’s Court.’
|
