The Tanzanian Government is committed to ‘improving the road network together with improved pedestrian facilities and at the same time enhance management of the urban road network, especially in Dar es Salaam and emerging cities.’ Tanzania National Transport Policy
Background
Dar es Salaam, a city of five million, is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, a major economic hub in East Africa and a major port city on the Indian Ocean. In Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam less than 50% of the city's 4.5 million population use motorised transport while the rest use NMT modes.
Challenges
Deteriorating road infrastructure means that the conditions are unpleasant for walking and cycling. In some parts of the city, sidewalks for NMT are almost non-existent, and even where they do exist they are occupied largely by parked cars. The sidewalks are generally not paved, which creates a poor walking environment and leads to pedestrians walking in the road (Bruun et al, 2016). There is also apathy in the use of cycling in the City because of the fear of road accidents that authorities blame on speeding of motorised traffic and low levels of traffic rule compliance by the minibus share taxis or Dala dala drivers. The minibuses are known for being overcrowded and their unsafe speeds.
Successes
In 2011 a new national transport policy was drawn up with support from International Development (DFID), which supported public transport, BRT and land use planning, and facilitated the establishment of Dar es Salaam Urban Transport Authority (DUTA) as a central coordinating body on urban transport issues. This Draft National Transport Policy emphasizes rural NMT and IMT modes as well as urban pedestrians. It makes no mention of bicycle transport.
One of its policy objectives, under the chapter on rural mobility, includes the promotion of rural mobility ‘through [the] introduction and adoption of different forms of NMTs / IMTs, and provision of complementary safe and affordable motorized rural transport services for all rural communities.’ The Policy commits government to promote ‘developing and facilitating the introduction and adoption of NMTs / IMTs for short distance travel and transport in rural communities… [and the] provision of safe and affordable long-distance motorized travel and transport services penetrate all rural communities. The NMTs/ IMTs will be publicized and, where appropriate, their initial adoption will be supported with technical advice and financial loans.’
Over the recent years, Dar es Salaam has launched a series of transformative improvements to transit, cycling and walking, and the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, or DART. This achievement led to the city of Dar es Salaam winning the Sustainable Transport Award in 2018, and hosting ITDP’s MOBILIZE summit.
The DART project, whose first phase of the network was supported by the World Bank, includes cycle paths, sidewalks, and improved pedestrian safety with well-designed, at-grade pedestrian crossings also complying with universal accessibility principles. The project provides a model of how to integrate pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes, and sidewalks into a quality transit corridor.
