Dar es Salaam Cuts Commute Times with BRT Phase II Launch

Commuters traveling from Mbagala to the city center are saving an hour each way as the 20.3-kilometer Bus Rapid Transit Phase II corridor officially opens. President Samia Suluhu Hassan and African Development Bank Group President Sidi Ould Tah inaugurated the route, which has already tripled daily ridership to 90,000 passengers.

Editorial·August 10, 2026·reads: 591

Dar es Salaam Cuts Commute Times with BRT Phase II Launch

The new infrastructure, stretching through Kilwa and Kawawa roads, slashes travel times from 90 minutes down to just 30. This efficiency shift is supported by 26 passenger stations, two flyovers, and two off-road terminals. The project represents a $155 million investment from the African Development Bank and the Africa Growing Together Fund, managed by the Tanzania National Roads Agency, TANROADS.

Beyond speed, the system prioritizes environmental and social gains. Once fully operational, the network will deploy 250 clean-energy buses, projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions along the corridor by 76% annually. Dedicated services for students are also alleviating morning congestion, allowing younger commuters to reach school without the typical overcrowding. With 13% of the project’s construction workforce being women, the expansion also marks a shift in local employment standards. President Suluhu Hassan confirmed that the government intends to extend this transit model into the neighboring Coast Region, building on the foundation of the city's first two phases.