Udart’s smart card shortage persists

What you need to know:

  • Udart Communications head Deus Bugaywa told The Citizen last week that the scarcity of smart cards was a serious challenge.

Udart’s shortage of smart cards hinders efforts of serving commuters well, the transporter says.

Udart Communications head Deus Bugaywa told The Citizen last week that the scarcity of smart cards was a serious challenge.

“Had a large number of commuters having smart cards it would be easy to transport them because most of them would have already topped up their smart cards. All they would need would be to swap their cards at the station and start waiting for the buses,” he noted.

“Smart cards have several advantages compared with tickets… For cards, even if the system collapses commuters with a balance in their cards will not have to wait for the machine to be fixed.”

In July last year, Dar Rapid Transit (Dart) agency announced that it would make new smart cards available for commuters to register their personal information before purchasing them.

Dart realised that out of 200,000 cards issued only 50,000 had been used.

Dart chief executive officer Ronald Lwakatare told The Citizen that the procurement process of getting a service provider to facilitate Bus Rapid Transit commuters with smarts cards was in the final stage.

“The procurement process is currently going on well and a lot of investors have shown interest in helping Dart with the card facilitation.

“We are in the last stage of announcing the investor… soon we will be in a position to make an announcement on the matter.”

According to him, the agency would soon announce a new service provider to facilitate the purchase 165 additional buses during the next phase.

There are 140 buses instead of 305 during the first phase that covers 21km.

In May last year, Dart re-advertised the tender after failing to obtain a service provider, because all applicants fell short of required standards.

Dart vision is to have a modern public transport system at reasonable cost to users using high capacity buses that are environmentally friendly, operating on exclusive lanes and run on schedule.

Its mission includes providing quality, accessible and affordable mass transport system for Dar es Salaam residents.of Dar which will subsequently:

enable poverty reduction

improve standard of living

lead to sustainable economic growth, and

act as a pioneer of private and public investment partnership in public transport.