Special Zone Police Commander Simon Sirro has temporarily lifted a ban on motorcycle taxis operating in the central business district, saying the operation was messed up.

Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Simon Sirro has temporarily lifted a ban on motorcycle taxis operating in the central business district, saying the operation was messed up.

Sirro said community police officers deployed to assist the police in the exercise were exploiting the chance for their own good by engaging in corruption.

 “This has tarnished the good image of the police force in the city and raised a lot of complaints,” Sirro said.

He said the force would train a new team of community police officers responsible for the operation in due time.

According to him, police investigation had revealed that 90 per cent of impounded motorcycle taxi riders did not have business licences, with most of them having only driving licences.

He said the riders did not even know the terms imposed on their business.

“This is the main cause of so many accidents involving bodabodas because they are always on the lookout for the police,” he said

 “In an effort to reduce unnecessary accidents the police met with bodaboda riders in the city and instructed them to obtain business licences so as to operate in peace,” the police commander added. 

Sirro noted that the police would in due course mount an operation against those operating illegally. 

Statistics from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) show that there were a total of 10,036 registered motorbike taxis in the country as of May 2013, with more than  4,400 operating in Dar es Salaam city alone.

 The government last year came up with a new system for registering the taxis distinguishing commercial bikes from private one according to their plate numbers.

Credit: THE GUARDIAN