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Dar es Salaam. Data collection survey on improvement of urban transport utilizing conventional railways in Dar es Salaam will begin soon as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ministry of Works and Transport and Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) organized a kick-off meeting to discuss the implementation plan.
The four-month study that ends in February 2022, will examine the existing commuter railways in Dar es Salaam (Pugu line and Ubungo line) and proposing measures to improve them, according to the first meeting conducted on November 4, 2021 in Dar es Salaam.
The meeting of 18 participants from JICA Tanzania Office, the Mistry of Works and Transport, TRC and Consultants from Japan and Tanzania proposed an improvement plan on tracking, signaling, rolling stock, stations, station plaza and transportation planning to the existing commuter train lines.
The formulated study team will also discuss with Tanzanian government officials to revise the Dar es Salaam Urban Transport Master Plan supported by JICA in 2018. The Master Plan projects Dar es Salaam to hit more than 10million of population as early as 2030, suggesting that road transport alone will not be able to provide safe and reliable mode of transportation due to worse congestion and lengthy travel time within the city.
The meeting recommended improvements to the existing railways system for the well-planned and balanced transport development.
Further discussion meetings will be held, whenever necessary, until the completion of the survey in 2022.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been supporting transport sector for over 40 years.
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