DAR RAPID TRANSIT AGENCY

Chairperson of the DART Audit Committee, Eng. Mohamed Ntunda has urged the management of DART Agency to accelerate the process of acquiring areas whose owners have been compensated to pave a way for the implementation of DART project in all phases of the project.

Eng. Ntunda feared that the infrastructure development in all phases would be hampered if DART Agency did not fast-track the possession of compensated lands as some of the property affected people tend to continue using the property even after being paid compensation.

The Chairperson gave such a piece of advice when discussing matters that were brought up during the seventh meeting of the DART Audit Committee held on September 18, 2018 after a site visit on DART phase 3 along Nyerere road, which was conducted by the committee a day earlier.

The already compensated areas are found in phase one which starts from Kimara terminal to Kivukoni through Magomeni junction, from Magomeni to Morocco Terminal along Kawawa road, and from Fire station along Msimbazi street to Gerezani Kariakoo, all totaling 20.9 kilometres.

Highlighting some hurdles that might delay the commencement of infrastructure development in phase 3 along Nyerere road, the Chairperson also emphasize the need for DART Agency to make a close follow-up on the availability of space for constructing a depot at Gongolamboto terminal where earlier a piece of land was demarcated for such development but later the government changed the use of it for the construction of Standard Gauge Railway.

There are currently two earmarked areas in Gongolamboto for the construction of a depot, namely, one area owned by Tanzania Airport Authority, and another by Tanzania People’s Defence Force, the Chairperson, said. The two government institutions have shown willingness to give the pieces of land provided that legal procedures are adhered to.

The committee also supported the idea of DART constructing a BRT terminal at Julius Nyerere International Airport to cater for public urban transport services for people traveling to and from the city centre to the airport.

The provision of a BRT terminal in the airport is expected to ease traffic jam along the highway to the airport through attracting people to using DART buses rather than driving private cars when going or coming from the airport.

Apart from discussing matters emerging from the site visit, the committee also dealt with different issues pertinent of managing resources in due course of implementing six phases of the DART project.

In May 2016 DART Agency plunged the waters by starting bus operations under interim service provider (ISP) after having completed the construction of BRT infrastructure phase one.