Dart now ponders electric Bajajis
Ms Nisse Donald, a tricycle driver in Dodoma, poses for a photo with her passenger. She says he wishes she could buy her own bajaj as she aspires to be self-employed and manager her own business. PHOTO | BEN PATRICK
What you need to know:
- The objective, he said, was to improve first and last mile connectivity to BRT through electric three wheelers, serve fuel cost and reduce noise pollution.
Dar es Salaam. The Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart) is set to procure 30 electric three wheelers (e-bajaji) to promote e-mobility and reduce environmental pollution.
The agency’s director transportation development, Mr Fannuel Kalungenda told The Citizen yesterday that under a demonstration project dubbed ‘Solution Plus’, they expect to procure 30 e-bajaji’s before the end of this year.
“The suggested areas for packing points and charging areas of e-Bajaj for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) phase one, would be at Ubungo mini depot and Kimara terminal. The packing facilities are already there and the only pending issue is the installation of charging sockets,” he said.
The objective, he said, was to improve first and last mile connectivity to BRT through electric three wheelers, serve fuel cost and reduce noise pollution.
He said that the project was under the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI) which is bankrolled by the European Union (EU).
In Africa, the project is being implemented in Tanzania and Rwanda in partnership with various other players.
“They seek to promote e-mobility by using e-buses but since only 100,000 Euros (about Sh245 million), we decided to come up with e-bajaji’s to implement the project. This is because each e-buses cost between 500,000 Euros (about Sh1.2 billion) and 600,000 Euros (about Sh1.47 billion),” he said.
He said the pilot project will focus on integrating a total of 60 electric feeder e-bajaji and distribution services with the Dart to support first and last mile connectivity.
The e- bajaji’s will be an integral part of public transport both physically and for the tariff, the facilities would be implemented in five Dart terminal stations.
A feasibility study on electrification with respect to vehicle specifications (range, speed), charging infrastructure (type and location) will be carried out first.
State-of-the-art data collection methods using geo-localisation-devices will be applied for a detailed derivation of the systems specifications. Subsequently, a master plan for the introduction of e-bajaji wheelers I will be developed. UEMI was launched by UN-Habitat, building on international activities in the areas of sustainable urban development, energy, mobility, and focusing on the equal access provision of urban basic services in Latin America, Asia and Africa
