Experts suggest ways to tackle congestion

Dar es Salaam. In recent years, traffic congestion in Dar es-Salaam was felt by everyone because most residents spent their time on roads while, the government continued to lose its revenues due to jam.

The major problem was contributed by increase number of cars, over population poor railway and road networks but, ever since the government started implementing several constructions projects to improve urban transport commuters are no longer hustling.

Some projects that have been executed so far include Tazara flyovers, Bus Rapid Transit (BTR) commuter trains while other ongoing projects are Ubungo interchange and BRT phase II expected which is expected to start early this year.

An expert in transport and regulation sector who preferred not be mentioned said construction of Mfugale flyover and Ubungo interchange alone could not easy traffic congestion.

‘If we can construct overpass and underpass bridges that allows railway lines, roads and pedestrians move or cross from one different point to another level at once if such infrastructures are belt it could enable to eliminated traffic congestion completely,” he said.

According to him, though the current construction initiative were meant to ease traffic congestion but, still more is needed to ensure construction of infrastructure continues.

He cited Manzese Bridge, if the country had such bridge bridges in different in different areas of the city and other growing region it could enable to ease traffic.

He stressed that a lot of funds were needed to ensure urban transport is improved because the government lose a lot of foreign and local currency due congestion.

Several African countries use the Dar es Salaam port to pass through their goods but, sometimes they look for alternative ports for fear of traffic congestion because Tanzania still experiences congestions.

Therefore, construction of underpass and overpass were needed to increase foreign currencies and to allow people spend their time working than being stranded in traffic jams.

A resident of Ubungo riverside, Mr Fredy Mushi said the construction of flyover, and Ubungo interchange cannot fully surmount the congestion problems in Dar es Salaam on their own unless efforts are made to transfer services and community infrastructure.

According to him, the government is doing a commendable job especially to urban transport to improve transportation but, it should consider to find markets that are accessible to customers.

The BRT system which started its operation in 2016 has been found to be an effective solution for urban transport problems in the city.

Works, Transport and Communications permanent secretary Mr Leonard Chamuriho said the government was executing several road projects with regards to the country’s population.

According to him, the future of urban transport was promising because the challenges of urban transport were implementable and not static, we are constructing flyovers, interchange and BRT projects in phases because the population and number of cars has increased.

He cited Ubungo along Morogoro road that the area had earlier traffic lights to control cars but, due to traffic jam the government found there was need to improve Ubungo infrastructure.

The installation of traffic lights, roundabouts and to increase number of road lanes would be applied in different parts of the cities depending on the increase number of cars and population.

Ms Alice Hezekiah said since the first phase of BRT system started it has reduced travel time and costs.

According to her, urban transport is more important for any country to develop. Cities such as New York and London developed because they improved urban transport.

“The cities have good infrastructure with modern trains and buses transporting millions of people at once therefore, the future of urban transport will be successful because Tanzania is focused to improve its infrastructure,” she said.

June 2018, Dar es City Council director Ms Sporah Liana told The Citizen they were planning to construct a control centre and purchase 130 new commuter buses which will operate in the Bus Rapid Transit system in attempt to ease traffic congestion in the city.

She said that currently the city has Sh5.2billion, which could purchase 30 buses for a start.

According to her, soon after the buses start operating, the constructed control center would help them monitor the entire system of buses in transit.

“At the moment the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency has buses but the operator of the buses is a private institution. The city wants to enter the transport sector as a government agency so that when the other operator has problems we could take over transport services,” she said.

The World Bank Group financed the first phase of the BRT system under the Second Central Transport Corridor, which was completed in 2015 and covers more than 20 kilometers of trunk routes.

A 2010 study, revealed that the country economy has been losing Sh4 billion every day from traffic jams in Tanzania’s largest commercial city.

Besides, workers also spend hours on their way to workplaces (last man hours) while environmental pollution has also been causing diseases such a as cancer, which increase health spending.