From crowded daladala to UBER, public transport has come a long way

Using public transport in Tanzania can be tricky as they have a lot of setbacks like overcrowding, fluctuating prices, accessibility and traffic jams.

By public transport here we mean daladalas, taxis, bajaj, bodaboda (motorcycles), BRT and Uber.

Since the early 1980s public transport was dominated by daladala and taxi, most convenient mode of  transport being daladala which are privately owned mini buses and vans that are known for being overcrowded and having no specific schedule.

With the influx of cheap imports from Indian manufacturers, 2010 saw the introduction of Bajaji’s (an Indian tricycle) into the country. Bajajis serve as a safer option to the bodaboda motorcycles. The bodaboda is considered the fastest, yet the most unsafe mode of transport to get around the city.

As of October 2015, the government launched the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system locally known as “mwendokasi”. With 29 stations in the city and approximately 100,000 daily ridership, the BRT system, which costs Sh650 per trip, has proved to be a solution to passengers.

With the rise of different modes of transport, local taxis have seen a great loss in the market. Last year, Dar es Salaam became the 485th city in the world to join the services of internationally acclaimed transportation company, UBER. Uber connects drivers with riders in real time at the touch of a button. Seemingly more affordable, flexible and easy than a regular taxi.

Stay tuned to Tanzania works as we unpack the business of public transport in Tanzania.

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