Large buses to ply Dar’s Bus Rapid Transit system from early 2015

Special buses to operate on Dar es Salaam’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes along the Morogoro road are scheduled to start operating come March next year as the first phase ahead of planned official commencement in mid 2016.


Speaking yesterday in Dar es Salaam during the annual conference for commuter buses operators and the Dar es salaam Regional Commissioner, Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (DART) Chief Executive, Asteria Mlambo said they are now installing traffic lights along the route being the final stage.

She said the BRT project which covers a distance of 15.8km on Morogoro Road, from Kimara to Kivukoni will ease traffic movement in the city.

 “One bus will be carrying between 140 and 150 passengers, this means one bus will replace at least five commuter vans,” Mlambo said.

She added the project will also offer both formal and informal employment to drivers and other attendants including mechanics.

On his part, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Said Meck  Sadick promised that the government will ensure that local companies, specifically commuter bus operators, are given tenders to operate the project and called upon commuter bus operators to form a joint firm to win the project tender.

 “Now that the first phase of the DART project is in the final stages, it will be better if local investors operate it so as to increase the national income as well as improving the lives of Tanzanians,” he said.

The Dar es Salaam Commuter Buses Owners Association (DARCOBOA) Chairman, Sabri Mabruk, commended DART for the ongoing Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (DART) project.

He said if given the chance to operate the project, they will benefit from the business citing that the system is now computerized and hence no funds will be embezzled.

The chairman commended Usafiri Dar es Salaam’s (UDA) decision to compensate all commuter buses operating along Morogoro road.

He said DARCOBOA has agreed to join UDA to operate the project as local players and went on to urge commuter bus owners to make use of the compensation they received to buy shares in the BRT.