Relief for Dar commuters as Udart plans to add more buses

Dar es Salaam. Commuters struggling with long waits for BRT buses can expect some relief in the coming months.

The operator, Udart, is poised to procure 50 new hybrid buses, offering both diesel and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) options for a more user-friendly experience.

Udart currently has a total of 210 buses, but only around 100 to 110 are operational. The remaining buses are out of service for repairs, causing long wait times for commuters at the stands.

However, Dar es Salaam residents may breathe a sigh of relief when Udart director general Waziri Kindamba stated yesterday that arrangements were underway to purchase a total of 50 new buses.

“Negotiations have already begun with a company so that they can provide us with some buses. The buses to be procured will be hybrid, meaning diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG), and will be user-friendly,” he said.

Mr Kindamba, however, declined to mention where exactly the buses would come from, saying it was against the Procurement Act.

This comes just one month after Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (Dart), the owner of the BRT lanes, revealed that it had secured an agreement with Emirates National Group (ENG) to bring in a total of 177 buses for the first phase of the project.

“We expect that by September this year, the buses will be in the country and ready for operations. The buses to be procured will include those that run on CNG and diesel,” Dart chief executive Athumani Kihamia said earlier this month.

ENG and Udart will work as competitors in a development that is expected to improve transport services in the first phase of the BRT.

According to Mr Kindamba, Udart is currently repairing the broken buses to continue serving its commuters.

“We have already procured some spare parts. The buses are undergoing maintenance. We plan to repair at least 40 buses by next month,” he said.

Mr Kindamba said that as time goes on, they will continue with the maintenance of damaged buses to increase the daily freight of passengers. Udart is currently transporting between 200,000 and  220,000 passengers daily.

He said: “The Key Performance Indicator demonstrates that demand is higher than supply; thus, it is vital to increase buses so that people are not stranded and commercial activities do not stop.”

According to him, their organisation is planning to engage more female drivers and mechanics—to 33 percent from the current six percent.

Mr Kindamba noted that starting next month, passengers will no longer be using paper tickets. By collaborating with the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra), Dart and other institutions have agreed to start the use of smart cards.

“Smart cards will increase transparency in fare collections and increase revenue collection. It will also reduce misuse of funds through, unfaithful public servants who take advantage of paper tickets by not giving exact change to passengers claiming not to have change (Sh50),” he said.

He said they will engage the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) to ensure Udart has its own CNG filling stations.

Udart’s head of Administration and Economics Department, Ms Zaituni Hassan, urged women to grab the opportunity by applying for the said positions.

“Women must apply in large numbers as soon as Udart posts job openings to fulfil the necessary number” she said.