Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is now waiting for 250 buses from China to start operating the second phase of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Infrastructure building on the 20.3-kilometre route stretching from the city centre to the Mbagala area, through Kilwa Road, was completed in August 2024, but is not yet operational due to the absence of buses.
Chief executive officer of the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart), which oversees the infrastructure, Mr Athuman Kihamia, told The Citizen that the buses for the BRT Phase 2 project are in the final stages of preparation and will be arriving in the next two to three months.
“If everything goes well, I believe the buses will arrive in the country within two to three months, ready to begin operations. We are introducing compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered buses as part of our commitment to reducing environmental pollution,” he said.
The ambitious move aims to accelerate the launch of the much-anticipated second phase of the BRT system, which is a critical component of the nation’s strategy to improve public transport infrastructure.
The new buses will bolster the capacity of the existing network, ensuring efficient, affordable, and eco-friendly mobility for Dar es Salaam’s rapidly growing population. This development reflects Tanzania’s commitment to fostering modern, sustainable urban transit solutions.
The BRT Phase 2, spanning 20.3 kilometres between Mbagala and Gerezani, has been constructed at a total cost of $159.32 million by China’s Sinohydro Construction Limited (SCL) and the infrastructure has been handed over to Dart.
Mr Kihamia noted that starting from BRT phase two and onwards, all buses will be powered by CNG and electricity. This initiative is aimed at reducing environmental pollution.
According to him, Abood and Shabiby bus companies have already shown interest in investing in BRT, and Dart encourages other local investors to use the opportunity to invest in the other phases.
He noted that the BRT project has six phases and requires investment in buses.
“Instead of giving this opportunity to foreign investors, we strongly desire to empower local investors to take part in the project,” he said.
Explaining the progress of BRT phases three and four, Mr Kihamia said the construction of BRT phase three has reached 70 percent while BRT four has reached 20 percent.
“We anticipate the BRT phase three to be finalised by March 2025 and phase four to be completed by October 2025.”
Dart’s BRT phase 4 project starts from Kivukoni to Boko via Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Bagamoyo Road.
The 30.1-kilometre project will also involve the Mwenge branch to Ubungo via Sam Nujoma Road.
Phase three of the BRT project involves the construction of a 23.6 km infrastructure project stretching from the city centre to the Gongolamboto area, through Nyerere Road. It also covers a section of the Uhuru Road from Tazara to Kariakoo-Gerezani.
Available information shows the construction for phase 2 officially began in May 2019, and as of August 2024, the construction works have been completed at 100 percent, and the projects have already been handed over to the agency.
Tanzania Medium and Small Truck Owners Association (Tamstoa) chairman Chuki Shaban told The Citizen that the association has a strong desire to invest in the BRT projects.
“Even last Friday, December 27, 2024, I was speaking to a certain bus operator who wants to invest in the BRT and informed me that he visited the ministry seeking to invest in the aforementioned project,” he said.
Mr Shaban further stressed that as chairman, he was currently mobilising members to invest in the BRT, and by March 2025, Tamstoa will be in a position to give a clear picture and number of people to invest in the BRT.
“Our association has a total of 1,200 members; therefore, if we are told to purchase 500 BRT buses, we are ready to invest and bring them in as early as tomorrow,” he said.
