THE Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) has given bus operators and electronic ticketing vendors until June 30 to integrate their systems with those of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

Salum Pazzy, the LATRA head of public relations and communication, said at an unannounced inspection at Msamvu intercity bus terminal in Morogoro over the weekend that the operators will otherwise risk losing their operating licenses.

LATRA will only allow vendors on its registry and whose ticketing systems are linked to the national digital infrastructure to operate beyond the set deadline, he said.

“As of July 1, any e-ticketing vendor or service provider not integrated into the government platform will no longer be permitted to offer services,” he said. “LATRA will only work with compliant vendors to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability in public transport,” he stated, alluding to publishing a list of compliant vendors soon “to inform the public and promote transparency in the transport sector.”

The inspection also assessed passenger safety compliance, including baggage tagging and the use of seat belts, where the regulator noted marked improvement in these areas.

The progress is due to public education outreach and regulatory enforcement, he said, pointing at misuse of e-ticketing and failure to use seat belts as decreasing. “This shows that our sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement efforts are paying off,” he asserted.

He reiterated the LATRA requirement that all bus attendants must undergo professional training at accredited institutions and be registered with LATRA before serving passengers.

“This directive has been in place for a while now. Any attendant who is not trained and registered will face penalties when found in violation,” he cautioned.

On recent amendments to transport regulations, he clarified that LATRA’s role in vehicle inspection has been revised to avoid overlap with traffic enforcement agencies.

“Following changes passed by Parliament, LATRA will no longer inspect vehicles before issuing operating licenses. That responsibility now lies entirely with other authorities, to streamline operations and eliminate redundancy,” he affirmed.

Conducting inspections were welcomed by service providers at the terminal, saying that the measures are helping to improve professionalism and service quality.

Stella Joseph, a bus attendant with Abood Bus Services plying the long Dar es Salaam–Bukoba route, said the checks are a vital reminder for service providers to remain compliant.

“Some attendants used to play loud music or TV, which disturbed passengers. But training helps change behavior, and these inspections ensure we don’t forget our responsibilities,” she stated.

Jackline Fadhili, a staff member with Saratoga Bus Co. on the Kigoma–Dar es Salaam route, aired the view that LATRA’s stricter enforcement has raised standards across the sector.

“Today, passengers are more aware of their rights, so we as service providers have to meet those expectations by following the rules,” she added.