Powerful interests delay rapid buses project

Dar commuters may have to wait for months before saying bye to the chaotic  daladala 

By  The Citizen reporters

In Summary

• 
  
• Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit project is contending with two forces: one preferring foreign operators and another rooting for local transporters
• 122.8: The amount in billions of shillings needed to complete second phase of the ambitious project

Dar es Salaam. Imagine this: Millions of Dar es Salaam, who are used to overcrowded, dirty and chaotic public transport wake up one day to a fleet of  modern rapid buses cruising the city’s roads. It is a dream they have had for two decades.

The multi-billion shilling Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (Dart) project is expected to be the first in East Africa to fix its dilapidated public transport system. But this dream would appear to be elusive, at least for now.

The Citizen has established that the biggest hurdle in pursuing the project is identifying who would operate it.  It would appear that there are conflicting interests—with one group preferring foreign operators and another rooting for local transporters.

The project trials, known technically as interim operation, were expected take off in April. But there are no rapid buses—and no operators have been given the necessary licenses.  Dart is responsible for identifying, selecting and contracting the private operators.

Dart has spent Sh413.8 billion to upgrade and construct the modern bus rapid transit. According to data gathered by The Citizen, an additional Sh122.8 billion is needed to fully complete the second phase of the project that is expected to ease traffic jams, boost the mobility of residents, promote the use of Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) and improve the quality of urban development in Dar es Salaam—which is home to about five million people and the centre of the country’s economy.

Traffic jams reportedly cost the economy Sh4.5 billion daily, thanks to the growing number of vehicles on the roads plus the rapid population rise.

When the news broke five years ago that the much-awaited rapid transit system was now set to be a reality, millions of Dar es Salaam dwellers heaved a sigh of relief.

But, even as residents wait with bated breath hoping to say goodbye to the chaotic commuter buses known as Daladala, there are indications that the modern buses may not be operational by June.

According to reliable sources, no buses have been bought so far—just two months to the deadline for the interim operation to take off.

It takes roughly four months to order, assemble, import and test the buses but there is no sign of progress in that direction so far—not even selecting local investors who would run the project.

The World Bank has been pushing for the advertisement of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which according to reliable sources, should be done any time now.  “But knowing the bureaucracy in how the WB operates, we may end up without any buses this year,” said a source from the Prime Minister’s office. “There should be no delay because almost 90 percent of the construction has been done.”

The Citizen understands that a total of 177 buses with a capacity to carry 190 passengers each, and another 135 with carriage capacity of 90 passengers per bus, were supposed to be imported before the interim operation begins. This is the period when project would be tested before embarking on full operation. The trial was set to start in April but was re-scheduled to June, according to reliable sources in the industry.