Mbezi-Kariakoo Daladalas via Morogoro Road reintroduced after eight years

Dar es Salaam. The Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) has announced the intention to reintroduce private commuter bus services from Mbezi to Mnazi Mmoja via Morogoro Road as part of efforts to improve commuting services.

Commuter buses, commonly referred to as Daladalas, operating from Mbezi to the city centre via Morogoro Road, were discontinued in 2016 following the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) commuting services.

The removal of the buses was accompanied by compensations to Daladala operators, along with offers of shares in UDA Rapid Transit (Udart), the operating entity of the BRT system.

However, the significant operational challenges encountered by the BRT seem to have compelled Latra to reconsider and reintroduce these services.

In the first phase of the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (DART) project, only about 100 out of the 210 procured BRT buses are currently in operation.

This signifies that more than half of the buses are out of service. To adequately ferry commuters from Mbezi Mwisho to the city centre, the DART first phase necessitates 305 buses, highlighting the pressing need for additional operational vehicles.

A public notice issued by the authority on May 23 invited operators to apply for licenses to ply the Mbezi-Mnazi Mmoja route.

The notice stated that Latra intends to license long, 40-seater commuter buses to operate on the route, which is currently dominated by BRT buses.

“Only newly procured vehicles with registration numbers starting with EAA and with a capacity to carry 40 passengers or more will be licensed for the Mbezi-Mnazi Mmoja route via the Morogoro Road,” reads part of the public notice.

The authority had started a partial re-introduction of Daladalas in the route in August 2022 after it licensed 15 buses.

The Daladalas, however, were not allowed to travel all through the Morogoro Road as they were made to branch at Korogwe and access Mnazi Mmoja in the city centre via Kwa Mkuwa, Mabibo, and Kigogo (through Kigogo, Kawawa roads, and Uhuru Street).

Other buses from Mbezi to Mnazi Mmoja were made to branch at Korogwe and access the city centre (Mnazi Mmoja) via Kwa Mkuwa and Buguruni (via Mandela Road and Uhuru Street). Latra added 10 more commuter buses on the two routes in April 2023.

On May 23, Latra also announced the intention to add yet another tranche of 10 buses to the Mbezi-Mnazi Mmoja via Korogwe, Kwa Mkuwa, Mabibo, and Kigogo.

According to the authority’s conditions, new vehicles that are not included in the Railway and Road Information Management System (RRIMS) will have their drivers verified by Latra.

Speaking to The Citizen on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Latra’s Public Relations Manager Salum Pazzy said the move will not only reduce transport chaos but also assist the Udart, which has been overwhelmed by passengers.

“Commuter bus owners should apply for licenses on the aforementioned routes to increase the number of bus vehicles available for the public,” he said.

Mr Pazzy said buses that have already been licensed will not be allowed on the announced new route.

“We don’t want to disrupt operators on the existing routes by re-allocating the already licensed buses to the new route,” he said.