Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed the contractor undertaking the Kariakoo-Mbagala section of the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), to speed up the project and it is completed in time.
President Samia made the directives yesterday when visiting the site at Mbagala Rangitatu in Dar es Salaam, expressing her dissatisfaction with the speed at which the project is implemented.
The second phase Dart project is now at 16 per cent. However, the project was supposed to be at 60 per cent this month, as per the agreed time frame.
“This project has to be completed on time, and be ready for use because it’s meant to ease transportation of people and services in Dar es Salaam,” she said, warning against delays of projects across the country.
President Samia added that timely completion of the project will fuel economic growth of the country, a move that would also play a great role in improving living standards of people.
The president had recently appointed Dr Edwin Mhede as the Chief Executive Officer of the Dar Rapid Transit (DART) Agency, replacing Eng Ronald Lwakatale, whose appointment was revoked.
“I have made changes in the DART leadership for the sake of ensuring proper supervision and implementation of the project, I want them to speed up the construction,” insisted President Samia.
DART has been facing a number of long-term shortfalls, which prompted Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa to visit it’s yards recently, where he noted a number of buses plying exclusive DART lanes had dropped from 140 to only 85.
Mr Majaliwa noted that while DART was meant to end Dar es Salaam’s transport woes, the vision was being delayed because of indifference on the part of the management.
President Samia reassured Wanachi at Mbagala that her administration will ensure effective implementation of all projects and plans stipulated in the government and the manifesto of the ruling party, CCM.
Going forwards, she said the government will take appropriate actions against all contractors who will be delaying the projects.
Recently, the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) fired three executives of SINOHYDRO for failing to carry out their duties.
The company is building the infrastructure of the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system from Gerezani to Mbagala.
In March this year, TANROADS Chief Executive Officer, Mr Patrick Mfugale, said the construction had reached 10 per cent which is far behind compared to the 50 per cent target set.
Eng Mfugale made the remarks as he was briefing the Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure during a visit to the project recently.
“We set two high-level meetings, involving TANROADS and SINOHYDRO, which have been held with the aim of push them to fulfill their responsibilities as required by the agreement,” he said
According to Eng Mfugale, he had told SINOHYDRO Company that due to work delays and substandard performance, the firm would not get another project in the country.
“I told them we will not give them another project in the country until it completes this project with acceptable quality and time,” he said.
The second phase of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) infrastructure project was a continuation of the government’s strategy to reduce traffic congestion in Dar es Salaam.
The project with a total of 149.7 kilometres of roads is planned to be implemented in six phases.
The construction of the first phase of 20.9 km from the city centre to Kimara was completed in 2015 with loan funds from the World Bank, the second phase of the project involves the construction of transport infrastructure from the city Gerezani to Mbagala and involves the construction of roads 20.3 km, two upper bridges and bus stations.
