East Africa: TAZARA Secures New Haulage Orders of Over 165,000 Tonnes
Posted on : Wednesday , 8th February 2017
Dar es Salaam — The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has secured new orders to transport at least 165,000 tonnes of freight for various companies on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia this year following a renewed confidence to the hauler.
A statement issued by the company's Dar es Salaam office indicates that the freight orders follow TAZARA Managing Director's visitations to various shippers and logistics companies in the Northern, Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia from 21st to 25th January 2017.
It further reveals that the visitations resulted in confirmation of new orders for the transportation of at least 15,000 tonnes every month, from February 2017, which will translate to about 165,000 tonnes by the end of the year.
According to the statement, all the customers visited appreciated the renewed drive and improvements exhibited in the operations of TAZARA so far and affirmed their confidence and desire to resume business relations with the railways.
"The new orders confirm that we are moving in the right direction as far as restoration of confidence is concerned. The market is happy and that is encouraging," says Engineer Bruno Ching'andu, who was appointed as Managing Director in April 2016 and was visiting TAZARA's customers in Zambia for the second time within eight months of joining the Authority.
"It is exciting that there is so much interest and desire to use the railways," said Ching'andu.
Since joining TAZARA, Eng. Ching'andu has instilled discipline in the railway operations, with the Authority now registering improved performance indicators for freight trains as well as passenger trains.
Many clients are now indicating that they would opt to use railway services instead of roads because of the assured safety, security, reliability and administrative convenience from the use of railways.
The customers visited by Eng. Ching'andu included Kalungwishi Estates in Kasama; Impala Terminals, Bridge Shipping, Lafarge Zambia Plc and Gourock Zambia Ltd in Ndola; Manica Freight and Chambishi Copper Smelter in Kitwe; and Larfarge Zambia Plc in Lusaka.
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