WITH the ongoing state of uncertainty that has left hundreds of cargo trucks stranded at Tanzania’s border posts with Rwanda and Kenya, the Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATO) has asked the government to re-negotiate with its counterparts for permanent solutions.

Authorities of Rwanda and Kenya have recently been denying access to Tanzanian drivers to cross their borders for the fear of spreading Covid-19.

They do so even when the drivers test negative for coronavirus and eventually present their certificates from Tanzania laboratories at the border posts.

WITH the ongoing state of uncertainty that has left hundreds of cargo trucks stranded at Tanzania’s border posts with Rwanda and Kenya, the Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATO) has asked the government to re-negotiate with its counterparts for permanent solutions.

Authorities of Rwanda and Kenya have recently been denying access to Tanzanian drivers to cross their borders for the fear of spreading Covid-19.

They do so even when the drivers test negative for coronavirus and eventually present their certificates from Tanzania laboratories at the border posts.

Rwanda, for instance, requires that upon arrival at the Rusumo border post, Tanzanian drivers should offload the cargo from their trucks and unload to the Rwandan trucks, a move strongly opposed by TATO.

“This is typically unfair to us, while our trucks are denied access to Rwanda, but they are allowed here, this imbalance isn’t accepted at all,” TATO Chairperson Ms Angelina Ngalula told journalists yesterday.

According to Ms Ngalula, such inconvenience brings loss to truck owners, the association and the government at large, and that immediate measures should be taken to rescue the situation.

Another concern is on road toll fees for which Tanzania in 2013 lowered the charges for Rwandan trucks from 500 US dollars to 152 US dollars, from the Rusumo border to Dar es Salaam, same to what was paid by Tanzanian trucks when they drove from Rusumo to Kigali.

“Initially, the fee was supposed to be charged per kilometre but our government saw the importance of harmonising the business and reduced the charges for our counterparts, there should be fairness,” she said.

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