Dar Es Salaam's BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), a network under construction

With a population of around 5 million in 2020 and an average annual growth rate of 5.8%, Tanzania's economic capital Dar es Salaam will be a megalopolis of over 10 million inhabitants by 2030, according to the United Nations. This is reflected in a high level of urban sprawl and an increase in precarious housing. As in most African cities, walking remains the dominant mode of transport. Public transport is provided by a system of poorly regulated minibuses called Daladalas operated by competing private operators, which are uncomfortable, polluting and accident-prone.

The first phase of the network is currently in operation. Phases 2 to 4, currently under detailed design or construction, will be financed by the African Development Bank and the World Bank. Phase 5, financed by AFD, involves the construction and commissioning of two BRT lines, comprising two 26.4-km corridors fed by 6 feeder lines, serving dense neighborhoods, hospitals, stations and universities.

The project also includes the creation of bicycle lanes and the upgrading of sidewalks. The project, estimated to cost 332 million euros (including the buses, which are to be privately financed), is being piloted by the Dar Es Salaam Urban Mobility Authority (DART), which has entrusted the infrastructure work to the Tanzania Road Authority (TANROADS). Operations will be handled by a private operator recruited through a call for tenders.

The project aims to improve the quality of life in the city: better access for all to the city's jobs and services (with a target daily ridership of 400,000 for phase 5), combating urban congestion, improving air quality and reducing the carbon footprint of transport (more than 70,000 tCO2eq/year avoided on average over 30 years).