Sh4.4tr required to decongest Dar

News

 

By Samuel Kamndaya

In Summary

Shortly after his election in 2005, President Jakaya Kikwete promised to build flyovers to tame traffic snarl-ups on the city’s roads, but ten years down the road, he is due to retire in November and leaving behind the very same old tale of decongesting Dar es Salaam.

Dodoma. It is a story that has been told and retold so often, about plans to construct flyovers and modern highways in order to decongest Dar es Salaam, which is now synonymous with traffic jams that cost the economy Sh4 billion daily.

Shortly after his election in 2005, President Jakaya Kikwete promised to build flyovers to tame traffic snarl-ups on the city’s roads, but ten years down the road, he is due to retire in November and leaving behind the very same old tale of decongesting Dar es Salaam.

To about five million residents of this city, traffic jams have become part of their daily lives, thanks to the dilapidated infrastructure, poor planning and lack of seriousness in the drive to decongest the country’s commercial capital.

But yesterday, the nation was assured that the government is scouting for Sh4.394 trillion to undertake various projects that seek to decongest the city of Dar es Salaam—for real.

To the Opposition, however, the timing of multibillion dollar project is perceived as a honey-trap to attract more votes during the October 25 General Election, to the government, this time around, it’s a serious business backed with actions.

According to the government, the money, to be sourced through various means including from development partners, comprises ongoing projects – including the construction of the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (Dart) infrastructure – plus building flyovers, interchanges and upgrading of several feeder roads, Works Minister, Dr John Magufuli told the National Assembly here yesterday.

“The aim is to build a flyover at Tazara, an interchange at Ubungo and improve several junctions including at Chang’ombe, Magomeni, Mwenge, Tabata, Kamata, Uhasibu (Kurasini) and Morocco,” Dr Magufuli said in his record 367-page presentation in which he sought the Parliament’s approval of Sh932.7 billion for his ministry’s development and recurrent expenditure for the 2015/16 financial year.

Of the requested amount, Sh890.572 billion is meant for development projects while the remaining amount would cover recurrent expenditure.

Actual construction of the Tazara Flyover, he said, would start next month (June 2015) after completion of the process of finding a contractor who will meet the required criteria. However, this did not go down well with the opposition bench which said Dr Magufuli has been cheating the August House over the real time when actual construction of the Tazara Flyover would start.

“It was in the 2011/12 financial year that he said the government would build flyovers at Tazara, Morocco, Ubungo, Magomeni and Selander Bridge but to date, nothing has been done and right now, he is once again cheating us that the Tazara Flyover tender will be opened next month in Japan. Who is Dr Mugufuli fooling?” enquired the shadow Works Minister, Felix Mkosamali (NCCR-Magezi—Muhambwe).

But Dr Magufuli, who holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Chemistry from the University of Dar es Salaam, said the project was delayed because most of the bidders did offer much more than the budget for the project.

On the Ubungo Interchange, Dr Magufuli who doubles as MP for Chato, said the government is currently finalizing the process of announcing a tender to get a contractor who will undertake the project. The interchange seeks to create three levels at the Ubungo Traffic Lights for vehicles to pass and proceed to their various destinations without stopping. “A total of Sh126.661 billion will be spent on that project,” said Dr Magufuli.