Evaluating Usafiri Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit

Undergraduate #103
Discipline: Technology and Engineering
Subcategory: Civil/Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering

Willis W. Walter III - Howard University

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A study was conducted to determine if the government of Tanzania should continue to invest in bus rapid transit, considering the expense to do so would also include the need of expanding and improving roadway space to operate. The Usafiri Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Rapid Transit (UDA-RT) has been operating for 14 months in this city that is one of the fastest growing in the world. In this study the UDA-RT was evaluated utilizing four methods. The first was to compare it withbus rapid transit (BRT) systems in Johannesburg, Lagos, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, and New York through the BRTData database. The second evaluation was done utilizing the average operating speed of the UDA-RT in between each station to gauge the consistency of the system. The third evaluation was done by comparing the UDA-RT and the ‘Dala Dala’ private bus system on reliability through bus counting in the Ubungo terminal. Finally, the UDA-RT was examined as a transit improvement when compared to the ‘Dala Dala.’ Attributes such as availability, coverage, travel speed, frequency, universal design, affordability, information, reliability, environmental impact, user comfort and security, urbanism and aesthetics were identified through the collection of literature reviews and observations. The results of this study indicated that the UDA-RT is maintaining the global standard set for bus rapid transit, operating at a consistent and reliable rate, and is a transit improvement in most regards when compared to the ‘Dala Dala.’ The hypothesis was supported in that the UDA-RT is consistent with bus rapid system design used globally and thus the government of Tanzania should continue to invest in the transit system because it is a transit improvement.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): This research was supported in part by the GEAR UP Program at Howard University.

Faculty Advisor: Stacie LeSure, stacie.lesure@howard.edu

Role: I conducted this entire study by myself under the supervision of of my mentor Hannibal Bwire, PH.D, Consulting Engineering Senior Lecturer.