THE construction of the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Phase II project has reached 80 per cent, bringing further hopes that operations may start in March next year, as planned.
The project, which involves the construction of infrastructure, includes 20.3km of exclusive BRT lanes and Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) facilities along Kilwa Road corridor from Mbagala to the city centre and part of Kawawa road.
BRT project manager, Eng Barakael Mmari, said the construction of BRT Phase II from Mbagala area in Temeke District to the Central Business District will connect with Phase I at the Kariakoo area that is now nearing completion, let alone the Passenger Stations also in advanced stage to completion.
He said the construction of the road built using concrete with a width of 3.5 metres and a length of 5 metres has been completed, adding that during the inspection, they directed the contractor to re-construct the parts that were found to be bellow standards.
On the other hand, Eng Mmari noted that BRT Phase III of 17.92Km
from Bibi-Titi Street and Nyerere Road past Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) to Gongo la Mboto Bus Terminal is in preliminary preparations.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam during the climax of a customer services week recently, DART Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Eliphas Mollel said out of 920 expected new buses, 750 will serve in the Phase II route from Mbagala to the city centre, adding: "The other 170 will ply Phase I along Morogoro road in the city."
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Elaborating, Dr Mollel said that on daily basis, Dar Rapid Transit buses carry more than 200,000 passengers and that attracts many city dwellers, hence a creativity to maintain quality transportation services can not in any way be avoided.
He added: "The government has already acquired funds to enable the construction of Phase III, where so far the government secured a 570. 6bn/- loan for the execution of BRT Phase III and IV, out of which 148.1 million US dollars is for Phase III and 99.9 million US dollars for Phase IV."
Phase III of the BRT project involves the construction of a 23.6km infrastructure project stretching from the Nyerere-Gongo la mboto Road to the City Centre and a section of the Uhuru Road from TAZARA to Kariakoo-Gerezani.
Earlier, an advert published in the 'Daily News' by the contractor, Synohydro Corporation Limited, notified motorists using the Nyerere road to observe road signs, especially the ones displayed on the road due to the ongoing construction works.
"Road users are advised to cautiously obey signs and divert to a temporary path alongside the main road... this is to pave way for the construction to continue. Also give maximum cooperation to flagmen stationed at the roadsides," read part of the advert.
The development comes as DART recently announced that about 920 additional Rapid transit buses will be imported to ply between the city centre and its suburbs.
