Tanzania’s solution to being able to move around the city affordably, efficiently, and safely around the city is the transformative Bus Rapid Transport System (BRT). This system delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective services like a metro.
It has bus-only lanes, dedicated stations, off-board fare collection, and fast and frequent operations.
Before the BRT system was introduced, there were certain challenges the citizens faced; the normal public buses took many hours on the road due to traffic which caused people to be late for their daily activities. With the BRT system, people get to their destination in good time.
The first phase began construction in 2012 with support from the World Bank and it opened in 2016 with 29 stations and five terminals.
The impact of this system was immediate; with the introduction of the BRT system, places that took three hours for people to get to started taking 45 minutes.
With the increase in commuter demand, the system is being expanded with phase II opening soon, phases III and IV under implementation, and phase VI being planned.
A total of 140 km of dedicated BRT corridors will have been built by the government with the support of development partners and investors when the network is fully open.
The system once fully opened will be able to transport two million passengers per day. It will use a system of integrated routes, hubs, and stations. Paper tickets for the BRT will be replaced with cards and digital passes. There will also be cleaner running buses across the network. There are also thoughts about transforming lines III and IV into electric instead of the usual diesel.
The BRT system can transport several people at once, compared to regular cars, this is an added advantage as it will reduce the usage of cars and emissions.
The system design makes it safe and reliable for all users, they even have services that care for people with special needs. When the bus arrives, the people with special needs get to enter first.
This development is highly applaudable as infrastructure development can transform cities and change lives.