Dar es Salaam. Nearly nine years after the introduction of the rapid bus transport system in Dar es Salaam, commuters are still grappling with persistent problems that have failed to ease their daily travel woes.
Launched in 2016, the project’s first phase has not lived up to expectations, with serious challenges including long waiting times caused by a shortage of buses and inadequate feeder services.
Passengers say they often wait between one and two hours at bus stops, while some ticket holders abandon the queues to seek alternative, often risky, transport options such as motorcycle and tricycle taxis.
In addition, some commuters have sustained injuries in scuffles over seats, a development that contradicts the project’s intended purpose.
On Tuesday, 27 May 2025, The Citizen’s sister publication, Mwananchi visited bus stops along key routes including Kimara, Kivukoni and Gerezani, observing long queues of passengers waiting for buses — a problem that has persisted for years.
Kimara, Gerezani, Fire and Kivukoni bus stations experience the highest passenger volumes during peak morning and evening hours, yet bus availability remains insufficient.
Spokesperson for the rapid bus transit project, Gabriel Katanga, acknowledged the challenges, apologised to Tanzanians, and appealed for patience.
He promised that 100 new buses would be introduced within the next two months to address the problem.
“Currently, the buses in operation have been in service since 2016, running from midnight to 12 midnight,” Katanga said. “Their capacity has deteriorated, reducing the number of available buses and causing the current difficulties.”
A burden rather than a solution
Sebastian John, a resident of Mbezi and regular user of the service, described it as more of a burden than a help.
“You arrive at the stop at one o’clock and don’t leave until two or three. This is a real problem. We have complained for a long time but are only promised new buses that never arrive. When you board, you risk theft and harassment — the transport service is no longer civilised,” he said.
John urged the government to involve more private investors to increase the fleet instead of relying on a small number of often dilapidated buses.
Hosiana Patrick from Kigamboni said the main issue was too few buses and too many passengers.
“You can spend two hours just waiting at the stop during rush hours. If you don’t leave early, you risk being late. There are also ticket scalpers who claim they have no change — that’s another problem,” she said.
Maria Mlay from Kimara, recounted how she injured her arm after being pushed during a scramble to board a bus.
“I was going to work in the morning when the bus arrived, and people rushed to get on first. I was shoved and fell, injuring my left arm. To this day, I cannot raise it properly,” she said.
Another commuter, Ramadhani Komba, a parent from Kimara Korogwe, said his transport costs have increased since he started using motorcycle taxis instead of buses, spending over Sh3,000 every morning to reach work on time.
Injuries at health centres
Several injured passengers have been treated at Kimara Health Centre, mostly due to overcrowding and pushing while boarding buses, particularly during busy mornings.
A health worker, speaking anonymously, said, “We receive patients with injuries caused by crowding and pushing when boarding. Some slip and break bones or sprain themselves. These incidents are common, especially in the mornings.”
A police officer at Kimara, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the crowds make the situation difficult despite increased security and appeals for orderly boarding.
“Mornings are chaotic. We often help injured passengers get to hospital. We keep reminding people to follow the boarding rules because their safety is paramount,” he said.
Original aims still unmet
Senior Lecturer at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), Dr Lawi Yohana, said the rapid bus system has failed to meet its original goal of enabling fast movement across the city, crucial for Dar es Salaam’s economic growth.
“One key objective was to reduce the time people spend travelling and allow them to use that time productively. But currently, commuters lose hours waiting or fighting to board the few buses available,” he said.
According to Dr Yohana, the system’s poor performance stems from an insufficient number of buses, lack of regular maintenance, and deteriorating infrastructure.
He added that worldwide, efficient urban transport services run through public-private partnerships (PPP), where government focuses on policy, infrastructure, and regulation, while private firms handle operations.
Supporting this view, University of Dodoma (UDOM) Lecturer Dr Mwinuka Lutengano said involving the private sector in running the service is essential to improve efficiency.
“No city in the world has reliable public transport without collaboration between government and private operators. The government should concentrate on policy, infrastructure, and oversight, leaving operations to private companies,” he said.
Government response
Meanwhile, the project spokesperson, Gabriel Katanga, said the government has ordered 100 new buses; one has already arrived and is undergoing trials.
“When buses are imported, the manufacturer provides a test model. They later report any issues or improvements needed. You can’t return buses once they arrive in China,” he said.
Katanga added that the current fleet sometimes drops to 80–90 buses, causing persistent problems.
Regarding passenger injuries, Katanga said there are clear procedures for orderly boarding, supervised by officials, but admitted that some passengers disregard the rules.
He also said the transport system has a dedicated service for students, with two buses running each morning and evening to avoid issues.
Repeated promises
Promises to address transport challenges with new buses have been made repeatedly. On 2 January 2025, Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa announced that the private sector would deliver buses between February and March.
He said 177 buses would operate on the Kimara route and 755 on Mbagala, with services expected to launch in March.
Earlier, in late January, the then-CEO of the rapid bus project, Dr Athuman Kihamia, promised 250 buses from China would arrive between March and April.
