Dar es Salaam.The Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (Dart) is seeking more investors, preferably from outside the country, to boost the implementation of the grand transport project.
The agency is set to float an international tender that should attract interested bidders who would ultimately work with locals to operate the bus project.
“Floating of the tender is awaiting the commencement of the interim phase of the project…it is only after the start of the initial phase that we will float the international tender,” agency’s infrastructure manager, Mr Mohamed Kuganda, told The Citizen yesterday.
Dart manages the project’s infrastructure and other interested parties are invited to join the multi-billion project under the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement. Under this plan, the public will be involved in bus operations and ticketing.
Already, the agency has entered a joint venture business agreement with the union of commuter bus operators in Dar es Salaam, Darcoboa, who have formed UDA-Rapid Transit (UDA-RT) Company.
Dart has opted for international tendering in a bid to get a competent investor that would complement UDA-RT which has not been able to run the project alone.
The first phase of the project would need a fleet of 350 buses to operate smoothly.
UDA-RT was expected to bring in 84 buses for the take-off of the initial phase of the project, but has exceeded the target by acquiring 140 buses, The Citizen was told.
“We, however, did not want UDA-RT to bring in all the 350 buses to avoid interfering with a competitive tendering process. The interim phase involves only 84 buses,” said Mr Kuganda.
He further said the 56 buses that UDA-RT has brought in excess of what they were directed to bring will have its own arrangement of operating, which would be decided in due course, because demand for commuter buses was still high.
The number of buses that have been brought in by UDA-RT constitute only 40 per cent of the actual number of the vehicles needed for the operation of the project’s phase one plan.
“We are currently fine tuning the tender documents before we float it, including specification forms,” said Mr Kuganda.
He said the decision to give UDA-RT stakes in the project did not come by accident; it was deliberately made to enable them to build the capacity to ultimately manage to run the multi-billion project.
“International bidders would want to form a joint venture with people who have the necessary exposure, that’s why we decided to build the local company’s capacity. People say we have favoured UDA-RT, but the intention was to empower them,” he said.
He said the government did not want to see the Dart infrastructure remain idle and decided to bring in UDA-RT to start the project as they wait to finalise international tendering which normally takes long to finalise.
It is anticipated that by 2025, Dar es Salaam will have 11.5 million citizens and this, according to experts, calls for serious infrastructure improvement. The ongoing phase one works of the project envisions reducing traffic jams and congestion at Dar es Salaam City.
The project includes construction of 20.9km special trunk road from Kimara Bus Terminal to Kivukoni, Msimbazi Road from Fire to Kariakoo-Gerezani and a part of Kawawa Road from Magomeni to Morocco/Ali Hassan Mwinyi roads junction.