Dar es Salaam Sees New Commuter Buses to Ease Transport Challenges
Dar es Salaam has witnessed a significant development in its public transport system as the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) has issued permits for 150 new commuter buses, commonly referred to as daladala. This move is aimed at improving passenger flow and enhancing public transport services across the city. The decision comes in the wake of election-related violence that disrupted operations of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
The unrest on October 29 led to widespread vandalism, including damage to infrastructure such as BRT stations and buses. As a result, the government suspended BRT services indefinitely. The Morogoro Road corridor was most affected by this destruction, with some parts of the Kilwa Road corridor also experiencing similar issues.
In response to the damage, the government announced a temporary suspension of BRT services to assess the extent of the destruction. During this time, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Albert Chalamila, directed Latra to issue temporary permits to ensure that transport services could continue along the two affected routes.
“Therefore, for all those who were expecting to use the BRT, we are suspending the service to assess the extent of the damage caused. As you can see, even the gate systems have been destroyed. For this reason, we are directing Latra to issue temporary permits to ensure transport services continue along the two affected routes,” he stated.
Expansion of Public Transport Services
Mr Salum Pazzy, Head of Communications and Public Relations at Latra, highlighted that the 150 new buses will be added to the existing 148 buses operating on the Morogoro Road route, increasing the total number to 298. A technical assessment conducted by the authority determined that 150 additional buses were necessary to supplement the current fleet. If demand increases, more permits will be issued to accommodate additional daladala services.
Each of these minibuses will have a seating capacity of 26 passengers, ensuring efficient transport for commuters. According to Mr Pazzy, Latra has always prioritized uninterrupted public transport, even when introducing or adjusting BRT routes.
“Even when Mofat’s (operator of Phase Two) buses were deployed to operate along Morogoro Road, we did not withdraw the 148 daladala that were already assigned to their respective routes. They have continued to support passenger transport and complement BRT services,” he noted.
Focus on Efficient and Reliable Transport
The decision to expand the number of daladala services is part of ongoing efforts to ensure reliable and efficient public transport, especially during peak travel periods and route adjustments. For BRT Phase Two, Mr Habibu Suluo, Director General of Latra, mentioned that the authority is not considering issuing additional permits for daladala along the corridor. This is because the extent of infrastructure vandalism there is not as severe as in Phase One.
“The Mbagala route has not been heavily affected, so we do not expect to issue new daladala permits since the only station that was slightly damaged is the one at Mbagala,” he said.
Challenges Faced by BRT Operators
Mofat’s Managing Director, Mr Mohamed Abdallah Kassim, expressed hope that the damaged infrastructure will be repaired soon, allowing their operations to resume. He shared that three of their buses have been completely burnt to ashes, which has significantly impacted their ability to service bus loans.