Daunting task ahead of newly appointed Udart boss

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan on March 9, appointed the new director general for UDA Rapid Transit (Udart), who has five tasks ahead to improve its operations, including the purchase of adequate buses to improve efficiency.

The newly appointed Udart boss, Waziri Kindamba, who previously served as Tanga Regional Commissioner, is replacing former boss Gilliard Ngewe, who will be assigned other duties.

Among the major tasks he is facing include the procurement of new rapid transit buses for both the existing phase one project and the second phase project, the relocation from Jangwani, an efficient and transparent e-ticketing system, and the conversion of existing buses to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.

The second-phase project from the city centre to Mbagala is complete, but operations have not yet started due to the lack of buses.

But the first phase from Kimara-Mwisho to the city centre faces an acute shortage of buses, which causes congestion in BRT stations and inside the buses.

Reacting to the news of the appointment, a senior lecturer at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), Abel Kinyondo, told The Citizen that among the tasks that the new DG needs to do to improve Udart operations is to go back to the basics by ensuring that operations are automated.

“Sometime back, the company was issuing electronic tickets that increased efficiency and transparency, but suddenly they went back to manual tickets that are not professional,” he said.

He noted that other tasks include the purchase of enough buses because the government has been increasing new routes while the existing routes do not have enough vehicles.

“The government needs to invest more in the vehicles to return its investments in the infrastructure put in place,” he said.

Further, he noted that the new boss needs to come up with a plan for its headquarters.

“We see so many of the vehicles breaking down because the Udart headquarters is often flooded during rainy seasons. The new director should spearhead efforts to find a new headquarters,” he said.

A commuter who resides at Mbezi Msakuzi, Dunstan George, expressed concerns over the perpetual shortage of buses since the commencement of BRT phase one operations in 2016.

"Although the construction of BRT phase two infrastructure is complete, we anticipate the new boss to prioritise the procurement of buses for phase one before addressing phase two. Additionally, BRT buses should operate 24 hours a day, considering Dar es Salaam's status as a commercial city," he emphasised.

He further suggested the reintroduction of top-up smart cards, highlighting their convenience for passengers.

A senior research fellow at EcomResearch Group Ltd and the University of Dar es Salaam Deograsias Mushi said that it was imperative to convert the existing buses to CNG and at the same ttime,purchase buses that use gas to reduce operational costs.

The chief executive officer of the Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Development, Dr Donath Olomi, emphasised the imperative for the new Udart boss to prioritise equipping workers with the requisite skills and capacity to operate the company with a business-oriented approach.

According to him, the government incurred substantial costs in developing the BRT infrastructure, but a shortage of buses has caused innumerable inconveniences to commuters.

Private sector involvement

Analysts also said long-term solutions rest on the involvement of the private sector in the running of the BRT buses.

Dr Mushi said the competition ensuing from the involvement of the private sector can improve efficiency.

“If the private sector becomes involved, it will introduce a diverse array of buses offering varying fare rates, thereby fostering competition and ultimately enhancing efficiency,” he said.

He further explained that it was the government’s task to build the infrastructure and manage it.

But the private sector was more adept at business operations. Involving two or more companies in the bus operations will, therefore, improve Udart operations.

Dr Olomi also said, “The only way to improve the BRT system lies in fostering competition by encouraging the participation of multiple bus companies. This approach would promote innovation, efficiency, and service quality,” he said.

The Tanzania Bus Owners Association (Taboa) secretary-general, Priscus Joseph, underscored the indispensable role of experience in running businesses in the transportation sector.

“Udart needs to enter into partnerships with the private sector to improve its operational efficiency,” he said.