Former Lands Minister says she didn't authorize construction of BRT bus depot in flood-prone area
What you need to know:
- Jangwani BRT Depot, which started operations in 2015 and was opened by the late President John Magufuli, has been frequently disrupted by floods during the rainy season, damaging road infrastructure and sometimes leading to roads being closed.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's former Minister for Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Development, Professor Anna Tibaijuka, has distanced herself from the flood-prone area of Jangwani where the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) main depot was constructed, saying she did not issue the permit for the construction of the project to take place in that area.
“I declined construction to take place at Jangwani. The entire government knows this, but I did not have the power to prevent it. As an urban planning expert, I said that you cannot construct a bus station in a damp area; water will overflow."
The former minister said that urban planning was decided by the president and not experts.
"The construction of the Jangwani BRT depot was tense because there was no political will, and if the top authority had made a decision, there would not be a bus depot there,” she said during an interview with a local television station.
Jangwani BRT Depot, which started operations in 2015 and was opened by the late President John Magufuli, has been frequently disrupted by floods during the rainy season, damaging road infrastructure and sometimes leading to roads being closed.
In 2016, the Ministry of Environment and Union, under the then minister, January Makamba, formed a special committee to investigate the reasons why the BRT depot was built in the Jangwani area.
However, there have been no further details since then. Statements and directives have been issued back and forth from various senior government officials regarding the area and the consequences it leaves for Dar es Salaam residents, especially during the heavy rainy season as one of the main gateways to the central business district (Posta and Kariakoo).
It was later announced that the depot would be moved to Ubungo; however, these plans faded, and instead the government shifted the main regional bus stand to Mbezi, leaving the BRT depot in Jangwani.
However, the government, with a $200 million credit from the World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA), established the Msimbazi Basin Development Project (2022-2028) to strengthen flood resilience and integrate urban development efforts in the flood-prone area of Dar es Salaam.A
It is believed that the improvements to the watershed environment will help mitigate the impact of floods, helping to protect people, the environment, and transportation infrastructure.
