10 measures unveiled to reduce Dar es Salaam truck congestion

Dar es Salaam. Transport and logistics stakeholders have proposed 10 measures to ease truck congestion in Dar es Salaam, including cancelling licences of inland container depots (ICDs) that fail to meet operational standards and establishing dedicated truck parking hubs.

The measures are aimed at addressing congestion linked to the movement and storage of cargo in the city, with stakeholders calling for greater use of logistics facilities in the Coast Region to reduce pressure on Dar es Salaam.

The proposals were made on Monday, August 24, 2026, at a meeting chaired by Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila and attended by private-sector stakeholders, district commissioners, mayors and council directors.

One of the key proposals is for Dar es Salaam and Coast regions to jointly identify and establish a dedicated truck parking hub. Stakeholders also called on Tanzania Roads Agency (Tanroads), in collaboration with Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), to construct an alternative route through Kisarawe to facilitate the movement of containers to Kwala ICD.

The stakeholders further proposed that ICDs established under previous regulations be given three months to upgrade their systems and digitise operations so they can communicate directly with the Port of Dar es Salaam.

They also called for Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) to assess operations at Kwala ICD amid concerns that bureaucratic procedures are discouraging private investment.

Mr Chalamila said the region would also prepare a new urban planning framework aligned with Tanzania Development Vision 2050.

The stakeholders proposed a ban on new warehouses in Kariakoo and directed councils to identify suitable areas for warehouses to reduce congestion in commercial areas.

They also recommended relocating street traders and businesses operating in unauthorised areas to designated locations.

“We need to move away from daily rhetoric and focus on practical solutions. We have major investments, but if ordinary citizens are complaining, we must use wisdom to ensure they benefit from those investments,” Mr Chalamila said.

The meeting followed an operation launched by the regional administration to impound trucks parked on road reserves, a move that prompted complaints from truck owners and drivers.

Ilala District Commissioner Edward Mpogolo proposed that poorly performing ICDs be investigated and those that can improve be given time to meet legal requirements. Ernest Loboru, a member of the Tanzania Customs Agents Association, said some ICDs lacked adequate equipment and sufficient space to handle containers efficiently. He also said Dar es Salaam lacked a designated area for truck parking, urging Tanroads to identify suitable land.

Temeke District Director Jamaary Satura said about 70 percent of the 114 ICDs in Dar es Salaam were located in Temeke, making the district particularly affected by congestion. He said the council had started identifying potential truck parking areas and was consulting stakeholders on their social and economic impact. Truck Owners Association chairman Chuki Shaabani called for the Coast Region to be developed into a logistics hub.

He said truck owners had previously identified an area at Misugusugu in the Coast Region for parking but the plan stalled after a change in Tanroads leadership.

“While thinking about removing congestion from Dar es Salaam, it is important to make the Coast Region a logistics hub so that Dar es Salaam can breathe,” he said.

TPA Container Terminal Manager Geofrey Iwesya said the authority was developing an EPZDA facility capable of handling 700,000 containers and accommodating 100 trucks at a time.

He said improvements at Kwala ICD, together with TRC’s container transportation services, were expected to reduce the number of trucks entering Dar es Salaam.

Mr Iwesya also said TPA had established another ICD in Morogoro, which would allow more cargo to be handled outside Dar es Salaam.

He said port efficiency had improved, with daily truck handling capacity increasing from about 2,100 to 2,600 and eventually to the current level.