EXECUTION of the second phase of Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit System (DART) is scheduled to start next June, thanks to the release of the 159.32 million US dollars (357bn/-) by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
AfDB Project Manager, Jumbe Katala, said
in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the 19.3-kilometre project on the Kilwa
Road corridor and part of Kawawa road is expected to reduce congestion
during peak hours, with travel time for public transport users reduced
to between 15 and 20 minutes, from the current 60 to 90 minutes.
Phase II is part of the sixphase DART
system Master Plan for Dar es Salaam city that has been developed by the
government of Tanzania and is in line with the AfDB’s Urban Development
Strategy (UDS) of 2011. The project’s components include procurement of
buses and installation of fare collection system under the private
sector funding.
Over 100 articulated trunk buses with
140-passenger capacity each will provide both normal (stopping at all
stations) and express (stopping only at connector stations) services.
Additionally, a system of 111 feeder buses with capacity of 60
passengers will transport passengers to the trunk system through feeder
stations.
On climate change matters,the project is
expected to reduce pollution levels by about 60 per cent in the Phase 2
corridors and consequently improve air quality. The project is expected
to carry up to 400,000 passengers daily using the main trunk line and
feeder systems, contributing towards increased productivity and creating
an enabling environment for the private sector investment along the Bus
Rapid Transit, BRT-corridor. The project, the first of its kind in the
Eastern Africa region, will revolutionise urban mobility and
accessibility in Dar es Salaam.
It will provide enhanced transport
facilities that are reliable, safe, efficient and cost-effective,
supporting socio-economic development for the country. The productivity
gains to be realised from more efficient travel will enhance Dar es
Salaam’s competitiveness as a business hub and a gateway for its
landlocked neighbouring countries and contribute to regional
integration.
The project is as well in line with
Tanzania’s Five Year Development Plan (FYDP, 2016-2021), which has
identified infrastructure as a key catalyst for economic transformation
through industrialisation and human development.
The Project is also strongly aligned
with the AfDB’s areas of focus, popularly known as the Hi-5 for
transforming Africa, specifically those on ‘Integrate Africa’,
‘Industrialise Africa’ and “Improve the quality of life for the people
of Africa.” The project will also benefit the environment by encouraging
the public to leave their cars at home.
The system will use energy efficient buses to reduce greenhouse emissions.
“The bank’s involvement in this project
is key to decongesting the major road corridor and aims at resolving
infrastructure challenges and mobility bottlenecks, particularly in
urban transport sub-sector in Tanzania,” Said Mr Gabriel Negatu, AfDB
East Africa Regional Hub Director General.
It is projected that by 2030, Dar es
Salaam population will have grown to 7.8 million inhabitants, with 10
million trips per day.
The emissions by DART trunk buses
carrying 140 passengers are estimated at 2,l00g/km, since they will be
compliant to EURO I11 and/or above emission standards, while emissions
of the feeder buses carrying 60 passengers are 1,250g/km.
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