Public safety concern as Dart buses lack emergency kits

Dar es Salaam. Two months ago, Ms Juliana Kwemba, a resident of Dar es Salaam’s Kimara suburbs, witnessed a horrible accident in which a Dar es Salaam Rapid Bus Transit (Udart) caught fire, leaving trapped passengers struggling to escape.

“I saw children and adults who were struggling to find their way out through windows and doors. It was terrifying,’’ recalls Juliana when she spoke to The Citizen last week. She usually boards the buses to and from the city centre for her petty business.

“There was heavy smoke. Thank God no one died. But many were injured,” she says.

Although travelling in buses without emergency equipment has for long been a common scenario in daladalas, no one could imagine even the newly introduced rapid buses were in similar situation. The buses were seen installed with safety kits they started operations some two years ago.

Today, many buses have no emergency hammers--a safety devices used in vehicles or buildings to break through window glass in cases of an emergency.

When they were first delivered in the country, the buses were equipped with all the necessary emergency equipment including first aid kits, fire extinguishers and the safety hammers.

A survey by this reporter who boarded a rapid bus plying between Kimara and Kivukoni suburbs show the majority of the buses are not installed with safety and emergency equipment for fire safety.

In several other buses, the safety equipment are either vandalized or stolen, according to authorities, triggering safety concerns in times of accidents which have been widely been reported in recent days.

A similar fire incident also occurred on December last year at Ubungo areas involving another rapid bus which carried about 155 passengers commuting from Kimara to Gerezani areas in the city.

The fire was later put out by the Fire and Rescue Force, Police and local citizens. No death was reported but some were left with minor injuries.

There are also concerns over alleged delays by fire and rescue authorities in controlling fire during such events of emergencies.

The situation has therefore put lives of the commuters, especially in the events fire emergencies, in great danger.

In such accidents, fire-related deaths are caused by smoke inhalation of the toxic gases produced by fires. Actual flames and burns only account for about 30 per cent of fire-related deaths and injuries.

Usafiri Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (Udart) Managing Director John Nguya says his office has already imported some emergency equipment including fire extinguishers and safety hammers and other tools (hangers and dustbins) to be installed in the buses in the next few days.

“In the events of emergencies like a fire, the commuters can easily break the glasses even without using the safety hammers because the buses’ window glasses are made of materials that can easily be broken even by a single punch,” says Mr Nguya.

The Udart boss blame some of the unfaithful commuters for stealing the installed equipment in the buses. “Other commuters deliberately damage the tools for reasons you cannot understand,” he says.

“The problem that we are facing is that when we install the new equipment in the buses, in the next few days, they disappear,” says the Udart boss, adding: “For instance, recently we purchased new hooks and installed them in the buses to replace the broken ones, but as I am speaking some of the new hooks have already been damaged.”

Referring to the commitment of his office in strengthening road safety services to the commuters, Mr Nguya reiterates that the management is determined to continue raising public awareness of the importance to safeguard the multi billion project.

“If the project is properly managed, the buses will be serviceable for up to 12-15 years to come,” says Mr Nguya.

Dar Rapid Transit (Dart) Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lwakatare says: “We have about 140 buses that are operating on a daily basis, therefore it is not easy to notice when vandalism happens in one of the buses unless the matter is reported.”

He adds: “We will assess our buses and replace the missing equipment including the safety hammers and fire extinguishers.”

The DART boss further admits he has frequently been receiving complaints from the commuters related to the poor condition of some of the buses.

“Normally these emergency equipment are manufactured abroad and therefore when they are broken or damaged, we have to place orders to the manufacturers,” adds Mr Lwakatare.