Building of infrastructure for the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is going on well and to date 60 per cent of the work has been completed.
The Minister of the State in Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Governments), Ms Hawa Ghasia
The Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Ms Hawa Ghasia, said in the city that upon completion the project would also provide employment to many people, apart from its key role of easing traffic jams in the city.
“DART will provide many people with employment to run the business which will also include ticketing and servicing it,” said the minister while launching the Ministerial Advisory Board of the DAR Rapid Transit (DART) Agency, the operators of the BRT.
Ms Ghasia pointed out that the board has been tasked to carry out the DART project professionally and that the task will involve administering the infrastructure construction and ensure its timely completion.
“The selection of board members focused on experience and competency of the members in different professions,” she said. DART Agency acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ms Asteria Mlambo, thanked the Dar es Salaam City Council for coming up with the idea and that DART will tremendously address traffic jam in the city.
She noted that in 2005 the city council signed the contract with the Brazil based LOGIT consulting engineer and the local engineering company, Interconsult to carry out the project evaluation.
The board, which is chaired by a senior lecturer from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Prof David Mfinanga, is formed by six members including the Dar es Salaam Regional Administrative Secretary, Ms Theresia Mmbando, Prof Thadeus Satta of the Institute of Finance Management (IFM).
Others are Eng. Pricilla Chilipweli from Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL), Mr Gabriel Migire, from the Ministry of Transport and Ms Mlambo. The DART System is being implemented in six phases involving six main corridors and arterial roads in the city. The long term DART System network with first phase started to be implemented in 2010.
By LUDOVICK KAZOKA, Tanzania Daily News
