Tanzania seeks $260 million green financing for sixth phase of BRT

Dar es Salaam. The government has started negotiating with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to acquire $260 million for the implementation of phase six of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The move aims at ensuring that phases four, five, and six are executed concurrently. This comes after it was announced last year that the government had secured Sh650 billion in financing from development partners for the implementation of the fourth and fifth phases, respectively. The minister of state in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Ms Angela Kairuki, made the revelation at the weekend during her visit to inspect the progress of BRT infrastructure here.

She said the government was currently negotiating with GCF to establish the possibility of concurrently implementing the three phases until 2025.

“The government is working hard to ensure the three BRT phases are implemented concurrently,” said Ms Kairuki, who expressed the government’s confidence that the project will act as a learning point for other countries.

Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart) chief executive officer (CEO) Edwin Mhede said in December last year that the World Bank had extended $97.7 million (Sh219 billion) for implementation of the fourth phase between Tegeta through Bagamoyo and Ali Hassan Mwinyi roads and Bibi Titi Road in the city centre.

He said the government also secured 178 million euros (Sh427 billion) from the French Development Agency (AFD) for the construction of phase five, which will start at the Kijazi Interchange in Ubungo through Mandela Road, which will have a branch to Segerea.

Dart’s system planning and design manager, Mr Fanuel Kalugendo, said soon Dart will engage contractors to undertake work on the fourth and fifth phases of the city’s bus rapid transit BRT network. “We have already found the contractor to start the construction of BRT phase four, once the signing of the contract is finalised, construction will soon start. Also, we have also secured a place in Kigamboni to construct a BRT college and extend some of the feeder roads,” he said.

The Local Government Affairs Committee chairman, Mr Dennis Londo, argued for Dart to collaborate with government institutions such as the Tanzania Rural and Urban Agency (Tarura), the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), and urban planners in including reserve roads in the implementation of BRT projects.

According to him, the move would avoid inflation in compensation costs that the government incurs during the execution of such projects. “Dart, in collaboration with Tanroads and Tarura, should come up with a succession plan to pass leadership roles down to the youth and to focus on technology,” he said. Mr Londo directed the government to involve local companies that will ultimately collaborate with foreigners in the implementation of BRT projects for the sake of benefiting the country in the area of technology transfer.

The delegation visited the 23.6-kilometre BRT Phase III project stretching from Nyerere-Gongolamboto Road to the city centre and a section of Uhuru Road from Tazara to Kariako-Gerezani.