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Second Dar BRT operator set to bring in 177 buses
Commuters scramble to board a bus on one of Dar es Salaam’s bus rapid transit routes. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Udart has had a monopoly of the BRT first phase since the routes became operational in 2016 and the firm at one time operated 210 buses, but at least 70 vehicles have since been grounded.
Dar es Salaam. The second operator on the Dar es Salaam bus rapid transit (BRT) first phase routes will bring in at least 177 buses, according to the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart).
Dart chief executive Athumani Kihamia told The Citizen last weekend that Emirates National Group (ENG) will compete with Udart on the routes.
Udart has had a monopoly of the BRT first phase since the routes became operational in 2016 and the firm at one time operated 210 buses, but at least 70 vehicles have since been grounded.
Mr Kihamia said that once the relevant paperwork is finalised, ENG will start bringing in buses that will be operated alongside Udart vehicles.
“We expect that by September, this year, the new buses will have arrived in the country, ready to ply the BRT first phase routes. Some of the buses will run on compressed natural gas (CNG), while others will be powered by diesel,” he added.
Explaining on why it took a long time to get a second operator on the BRT first phase, Mr Kihamia said ENG was selected through an international tender, which meant that the firm had to understand the relevant laws and regulations before implementing its part of the agreement.
He noted that ENG won tender in 2020, but a number of issues, including fare collection modalities, had to be ironed out first.
The search for a second operator began in 2017, but failed due to various reasons, Mr Kihamia added.
The government, through Dart, has sealed a 15-year agreement with ENG to supply, operate and maintain buses for the BRT network that comprises five terminals, 27 stations and four feeder stations. ENG will also hire its own drivers.
“The BRT system will eventually comprise six phases and each phase requires service providers. If there are any competent and qualified local companies out there, they should apply to offer services on the BRT network. Our expectation is that we will have local operators in the other BRT phases,” Mr Kihamia said.
The Dart chief also revealed that the agency’s long-term goal is to phase out diesel buses on the BRT system and replace them with CNG and electric vehicles.
“We want to phase out diesel buses to order to reduce harmful emissions and air pollution in general,” he said.
In 2019 Dart relaunched its search for a second operator on BRT first phase route. It was the second attempt to look for a new operator after the agency disqualified the firm that initially won the tender for breaching the contract agreement.
BRT phase one routes cover a total of 21 kilometres connecting Kimara, Ubungo, Kivukoni, Morocco and Gerezani.
The second phase involves the construction of 20.3 kilometres of exclusive lanes and associated facilities along the Kilwa Road corridor and part of Kawawa Road.
