By Adonis Byemelwa
A parliamentary committee has delivered a stark warning that the loans secured for Dar es Salaam’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project may need to be repaid without the city ever reaping the intended benefits.
Augustine Vuma (Kasulu Rural), chairman of the Public Investment Committee (PIC) of the National Assembly, made this revelation while presenting the committee’s annual report to parliament yesterday.
He urged the government to stop dragging its feet and ensure the full utilization of the BRT infrastructure by allocating service providers for the completed routes.
The current underperformance, he warned, is undermining the colossal investment already made. Without immediate intervention, billions in public funds could end up wasted.
At the heart of the problem lies the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (DART) agency, which has failed to engage independent service providers, forcing it to operate with its limited fleet.
The Kimara-Kivukoni corridor, for example, should be running 305 buses but only manages to deploy a mere 100, frustrating the purpose of easing traffic congestion for the city's residents.
The report underscored that all three phases of the BRT project require adequate operational resources to function at full capacity and generate the much-needed return on investment.
Despite the staggering sums poured into the project—847.03bn/- for phases one and two, and $148.2 million spent on phase three so far—productivity remains disappointingly low.
Notably, the Kimara-Kivukoni and Kimara-Gerezani routes are completed yet languishing below potential. Even more alarming is the Mbagala Rangitatu-Gerezani-Kivukoni stretch, which has been operational for over a year without an operator in place.
The third phase, covering Azikiwe-Maktaba to Gongolamboto along the airport road, is more than halfway built, yet no arrangements have been made to secure a service provider for the already accessible sections.
“The committee finds no deliberate effort to fully utilize or operate this BRT project despite the government’s substantial investment, some of which was secured through loans,” Vuma observed grimly.
Beyond the BRT woes, the committee flagged another glaring inefficiency—cargo stations along the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that remain disconnected from major highways due to the absence of proper road linkages.
This oversight could cripple goods transportation, further dulling the railway’s potential. The committee recommended that the Ministry of Works and regional road agencies move swiftly to provide the necessary infrastructure.
Compounding the crisis is the glaring mismanagement of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in handling the BRT system. Critics are up in arms against David Kafulila, the director of PPP in the Ministry of Finance, expressing deep frustration over the government's lack of prowess in executing PPP models for critical infrastructure.
He pointed out that the BRT was designed to operate with private sector participation, yet mismanagement has left the government shouldering an operational burden it was never meant to bear.
Evidence of this dysfunction is the sight of over 70 buses parked indefinitely due to mechanical failures, while thousands of passengers scramble to board the few operational buses.
Despite dedicated lanes for the BRT system spanning several kilometers, a large portion remains empty due to the poor allocation of buses.
The shortage of operational vehicles has resulted in long waiting times, packed buses, and growing public discontent.
The frustration among commuters recently reached a boiling point, prompting the Minister of Works to make a radical decision—allowing Bajaj (three-wheeler taxis) and private vehicles to use the underutilized BRT lanes.
Though seen as a temporary relief, the move underscores the sheer mismanagement and the glaring inefficiencies plaguing the project.
Unlike Dar es Salaam, other African nations have demonstrated how a well-managed BRT system can revolutionize urban transport.
In Lagos, Nigeria, the BRT system is operated through a highly structured PPP model, ensuring that a sufficient number of buses run efficiently with clear schedules.
Similarly, Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya BRT system operates with private operators under government regulation, providing reliable and well-maintained buses that drastically reduce congestion.
If Tanzania is to salvage its BRT investment, it must urgently rethink its approach, accelerate the engagement of private service providers, and ensure that infrastructure is not left idle.
The alternative is a transport crisis where taxpayers foot the bill for a system that remains frustratingly ineffective.