The Dar Es Salaam Rapid Transit (DART) system will be inaugurated next October after more than ten years its construction works started in 2003.
The DART system has a total length of 130.3 km, 18 terminals and 228 stations between main and feeder corridors that has been built on six different phases by the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS).
The project represented a total investment of USD 290 million awarded by the World Bank in two installments of USD 190 million in 2003 and USD 100 million in 2012 for completion works.
The DART system will count throughout the different routes with 148 Chinese-made Golden dragon buses with a capacity of 140 passengers each, and an additional of 100 buses with capacities of 60 passengers that will bring them to the DART main truck from feeder stations.
The system will be managed by DART Agency, a USD 40.9 million Public Private Partnership (PPP) with two private bus operators, one fare collector and a fund manager.
UDA Rapid Transit (UDART) has been assigned by DART Agency as the private operator on the route from Kimara, western side of Dar es Salaam, to Kivukoni on the coastal region of the city in the east side.
The other route from Mbenzi, the northernmost city in Dar es Salaam, to Kivukoni has not been assigned to any private bus operator yet by DART’s management.
UDART has not officially pronounced the fare to be charged for using the services, but it is expected to be TSZ 700 for Kimara – Kivukoni route and TSZ 900 for the other from Mbenzi to Kivukoni.
The fare is higher than the current ones charged on public transport, but it will be compensated by the time saved from up to four hours to merely 25 minutes traveling from one side to the other of the city.
The Tanzanian Government undertook the project’s initiative seeking the creation of a quick, clean and cost-effective solution to its commercial capital city’s traffic problems where there are currently 5,200 privately-owned buses at an average rate of two buses per owner.
It is also meant to meet future transport demand with Dar Es Salaam’s population, currently over 4.5 million people spread in a total area of 1,391 km, expected to reach the 11 million by the year 2025.
