Bajaj drivers in Mbeya have agreed to end their strike and resume operations after the government ordered a 14-day review of transport routes and operating areas at the centre of a dispute with daladala operators.
The intervention by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Prof Riziki Shemdoe, follows disruptions to public transport services in the city, highlighting the need for authorities to involve transport operators in decisions affecting their livelihoods.
Prof Shemdoe directed Mbeya Regional Commissioner Jumanne Sagini to form a team to assess where bajaj and daladala operators should operate, the routes they should use and how passengers will access a planned petty traders’ market at the former airport site.
The team is expected to submit its findings within 14 days, providing a basis for resolving the disagreements and establishing transport arrangements acceptable to the groups involved.
Speaking in Mbeya on October 22, 2026, after meeting representatives of the affected groups, Prof Shemdoe said the dispute had partly arisen from inadequate consultation with bajaj drivers during the implementation of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directives on improving their safety.
He said the assessment should cover the entire city and identify appropriate operating areas and routes for the different transport services.
“Among the tasks to be undertaken is touring the entire city of Mbeya to establish where bajaj will operate, which routes daladalas will use, and how transport services will connect to the area where the petty traders’ market will be built,” Prof Shemdoe said.
The team will comprise representatives from the Regional Commissioner’s Office, the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra), the Mbeya City Council, petty traders and operators of bodaboda, bajaj and daladala services.
Prof Shemdoe directed Mr Sagini to prepare clear terms of reference to guide the assessment, stressing the need to examine the transport network and resolve the concerns that led to the strike.
The dispute has brought into focus the challenge of coordinating different forms of public transport while accommodating operators’ interests, passenger needs and government plans for urban development.
The proposed petty traders’ market at the former airport site is among the issues requiring attention, particularly the availability of transport routes that will enable traders and customers to reach the area conveniently.
Following the meeting, Prof Shemdoe and representatives of bajaj drivers agreed that the operators would resume work as the government works on a lasting solution.
Bajaj drivers’ representative Damas Mwakalinga thanked the minister for hearing their concerns, saying the drivers were ready to cooperate with the government.
He also pledged their support for efforts to improve safety and maintain peace in Mbeya Region.
The review will now be critical in determining whether the government can resolve the immediate dispute while establishing clear and practical arrangements for transport operators and passengers across the city.