CABLE transport is feasible in commercial terms in eight regions across the country, on the basis of a study conducted by the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA).

Habibu Suluo, the LATRA director general, said at a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, that a preliminary assessment of investment opportunities by assessing the needs and willingness of the business community.

It identified economic potentials of the renowned tourism-related mode of transport, especially for tourists destined to Tanzania, in the press conference focused on LATRA activities from February 2021 to March 2025.

Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Coast, Morogoro, Iringa and Mbeya regions were identified as areas where such transport is feasible in tourism, where a draft on regulations of cable transport has been prepared with the participation of diverse stakeholders from various economic sectors. 

The regulations were discussed at a stakeholders’ meeting last December 23, he said, noting that the LATRA board is consulting with the Treasury Registrar, the Transport ministry, along with Public Service Management and Good Governance, to finalise a review of the relevant regulations.

The project is titled leadership structure and division of responsibilities to establish a cable transport regulatory unit and facilitate the administration of the cable transport regulations, he said.

The regulations will be finalized and approved by the Transport minister in accordance with Regulation 45 of the Land Transport Regulatory Authority Act, Chapter 413, he stated

He indicated other achievements such as transport licenses issuance for buses, trucks and private hire vehicles increased from 226,201 as of February 2021 during that financial year to 334,859 by last month for fiscal 2024/25.

The increase of 108,658 licenses shows a steady increase of such needs by 12 percent per year, where LATRA has established 1,007 new bus routes in Dar es Salaam to reach inaccessible areas, while extending some routes to reduce costs for commuters.

Up to end of March, a total of 33,778 drivers had been registered and their information entered into the LATRA database, where 8,172 drivers are on the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) and issued with i-buttons, he said.

Overall, 4,563 drivers passed the LATRA exams out of 9,191 who sat for exams, a pass rate of 49.65 percent, and were issued with certificates, meanwhile as during the reference period 2,323 buses were handled schedules for day and night services, he stated.

As LATRA is also charged with rail transport oversight, for infrastructure, wagon safety, fares, quality standards and operational efficiency, it has conducted 275 inspections in infrastructure, signalling and communication, rolling stock (head and wagons) and operations during the four year period, he said.

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) had 143 inspections and 132 inspections on the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), he said, also elaborating on the vehicle tracking system (VTS) by satellite.

A total of 11,826 vehicles were already connected to the system as of last month, of which 8,969 vehicles regularly send signals. An average of 5,800 vehicles make daily journeys, expected to reach 6,200 vehicles by the end of this year, he added.