As part of a process to reserve project land in order to lower the high cost of compensation for future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects, the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (DART) recently concluded feasibility studies in four cities.
Although the government is looking to extend the BRT project to other cities, it does not want to do so by paying landowners astronomical sums of compensation.
Dr. Eliphas Mollel, the director of human resources and administration at Dart, stated that such compensations increase the cost of the projects, citing as an example the third phase of the BRT project in Dar es Salaam, where the government committed to spending Sh5.7 billion to compensate 77 landowners in March 2020.
Dr. Mollel said this in response to Mr. Deogratius Ndejembi, deputy minister in the President’s Office Regional Administrations and Local Government Authority (PO-RALGA). He requested that Dart begin feasibility studies for the BRT project in Dodoma City as soon as possible to minimize the chances of compensation.
Reported on April 30, 2020
Tanzania’s Bus Rapid Transit Project pays US $2.3m land compensation
Tanzania’s Bus Rapid Transit Project is entering into the third phase with the government of Tanzania releasing around US $2.5m to be used to compensate Dar es Salaam residents who will be forced to leave their properties so as to make way for the implementation of the project.
This was revealed by William Gatambi, the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (DART) public relations manager. Mr. Gatambi mentioned that a huge percentage of the total amount has already been paid but US $53, 562 still remains unpaid due to complications associated with inheritance in some areas.
“We are however working to resolve the problem and as soon as that is done the compensation will take place,” explained the DART public relations manager.
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Phase-3 of the BRT project
This phase of Tanzania’s Bus Rapid Transit Project comprises the construction of infrastructure of the Bus Rapid Transit across the 23.6km stretch of Nyerere Road from Gongo la Mboto to City Center and Part of Uhuru Road from Tazara to Kariakoo-Gerezani.
Its architectural design according to Mr. Gatambi has been finalized and submitted to the World Bank for approval to allow the DART to begging the search for a contractor for the actual construction.
The project will be funded by the International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank that offers concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest developing countries.
Initial phases of the BRT project
The first phase of the BRT project which is currently operational was constructed between 2012 and 2015 by Strabag International GmbH, an Austrian construction company. It has a total length of 21.1 kilometres with dedicated bus lanes on three trunk routes with a total of 29 stations.
Phase-2 of the project is currently under construction and it is expected to be delivered by the end of this year. This project covers an area of about 20.3km and it features the construction of two flyovers.
