How BRT project is rapidly transforming Dar es Salaam
DAR ES SALAAM: I consider myself a lucky university graduate to have been included in the Tanzania Employment Service Agency (TAESA)’s list of trainees stationed at Tanzania Standard Newspapers Ltd (TSN)’s fast-growing Digital Unit.
During the early days of my trips to and from the Dar es Salaam city center, known as ‘Posta,’ where the office is located, everything looked the same; business as usual.
Bus stops were in their usual places, and street vendors lined the sidewalks selling goods they believed passersby needed.
A few months later, one evening as I was leaving the office to catch a commuter bus back to Makumbusho, located on the outskirts of the city, I noticed that things had started to change quickly.
Excavators and other heavy-duty equipment were in place, ready for work. Demarcations were marked, and roads linking Posta, Morocco, Mwenge, and Tegeta were being dug up.
Trees along the sides of the road were being cut down, and even the bus stop I used to board from was no longer there. I was directed to a temporary bus stop.
Street vendors who once operated at that stop had scattered, each setting up shop in a new corner, adapting to the sudden changes around them.
As I approached the now unfamiliar bus stop, I spotted a bus parked in the distance. My colleagues and I headed toward it, exchanging confused questions about what was happening.
Roads were closed off, and we later understood that the government had begun construction on Phase Four of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, aimed at building dedicated roads for rapid buses, a project set to take 14 months.
In the midst of all this change stood the Askari Monument, a significant piece of the city’s history located at the city center, in the middle of a road undergoing construction. It sparked heated debates.
“Will the Askari Monument be demolished? What about the baobab at Mbuyuni?” These were two frequently asked questions from citizens as the rapid transport infrastructure project began taking shape in the city center.
From Samora Street, where the monument is located, to social media, the discussion was widespread.
Even in public transportation, the conversation continued, and in our neighborhoods, many were asking, “I heard the Askari Monument has been demolished. Is it true? Will it be taken down or relocated?”
A similar question lingered about one of the oldest trees in Dar es Salaam, the baobab at Mbuyuni, located on the outskirts of the city center.
As of now, construction is ongoing, with significant progress. Some areas have already been paved, and some DART bus stops have started being built.
Yet despite all the changes, the Askari Monument remains standing, a symbol of history amidst the city’s transformation.
The Askari Monument is located at the junction of Samora and Azikiwe streets.
It was erected in 1927 by the British to honor African soldiers who fought in World War I (1914-1918) in East Africa, particularly in battles between Britain and Germany.
The monument features a statue of an African soldier in military uniform from the wartime era, holding a rifle with a bayonet attached, looking toward the ocean.
As for the baobab tree, it is being preserved to maintain both the history of Dar es Salaam and the environment at large.
Dar is Transforming, Identities Remain
Tanzania is determined to improve its infrastructure, with Dar es Salaam, the country’s business capital, set for transformation.
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Key historical landmarks are being preserved for the next generation to understand “where we are coming from, where we are, and where we are going.”
To transform Dar es Salaam, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania received financing from the World Bank (WB) toward the cost of the Dar es Salaam Urban Transport Improvement Project (DUTP).
A portion of the funds has been set aside for the construction of Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Infrastructure – Phase 3: Lot 1: Roadworks (23.33 km).
The Dar es Salaam BRT Phase 3 road infrastructure corridor starts at Posta within the Central Business District (CBD) and follows the following routes:
• Route 1: Azikiwe/Maktaba Streets (0.95 km)
• Route 2: Bibi-Titi Street and Nyerere Road, past Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), to the Gongo la Mboto Bus Terminal (17.92 km)
• Route 3: Kariakoo BRT Terminal along Uhuru Street to Buguruni and Nelson Mandela Road, joining Nyerere Road at the TAZARA junction (4.46 km)
According to the Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS), the corridor will have two mixed traffic lanes and will accommodate one bus depot (at Gongo la Mboto), one bus terminal (at Kariakoo), three feeder stations (at Jet Club, Banana, and Buguruni – Rozana area), thirty-two bus stations, and five pedestrian crossing bridges at Kisutu Market, Buguruni – Rozana Feeder Terminal, JNIA Terminal, Banana, and Gongo la Mboto.
The park-and-ride facilities for private car owners are planned near the Jet Club Feeder Transfer Station and at the Gongo la Mboto Bus Terminal.
Additional details by Sauli Giliard
