by Ben Taylor
Dar bus transport problems spark protests
In late September and early October 2025, a few weeks before the general elections, a spate of protests broke out on Dar es Salaam rapid transit buses. A key incident occurred at around 8pm on October 1, after a number of passengers were trying to board the limited number of available buses.
“Just kill us, just kill us,” hundreds of passengers shouted at Gerezani bus station as police tried to disperse the crowd by firing warning shots into the air. The unrest spread to other stations, including Magomeni Mapipa and Kagera, where drivers abandoned their vehicles to escape the angry mob.
This incident occurred only hours after Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila visited Kimara and other routes to apologise to frustrated customers of what many now see as a failing transportation project.
Chalamila’s intervention followed a week of spontaneous protests on the buses, where overcrowded passengers, often hanging from doors, windows, and even roofs, chanted political slogans. Some shouted, “We don’t want CCM,” while others sang in support of jailed opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
The principal cause of the discontent appears to be delays to the rollout of new phases of the bus network, which has added to congestion, long queues, poor maintenance of the existing network and irregular schedules. The planned expansion was due to start in September 2025, but has been delayed due to what Mr Chalamila called production and logistics challenges.
In response, President Samia Suluhu Hassan appointed new leaders to Dar Rapid Transit Agency (Dart) which regulates the system and Uda Rapid Transit (Udart) that operates Phase One.
Then, in mid-October, the first buses began operating on the Mbagala-Kilwa corridor route, Phase II of the BRT system. This phase involves 250 buses operated by Mofat Company under a 12-year contract. All buses are powered by natural gas, aligning with the government’s commitment to cleaner and more sustainable urban transport. Commuters who boarded the new BRT buses expressed optimism mixed with concerns. “I waited almost an hour for the bus at Mbagala Rangi Tatu Station since only a few [buses] have been deployed so far,” said one passenger.
In January 2026, it was reported that 49 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses had recently arrived in the country and had begun offloading at the port, with expectations that they will start operating shortly.
The Public Relations Officer of Udart, Gabriel Katanga said the buses already in the country are part of the 99 units expected in the first phase, aimed at improving transport services along the Kimara corridor under the BRT Phase One (BRT-1), which began operations in 2016.
The project, which was designed to operate with 305 buses, currently has only about 40 in service after many broke down. The decline has been attributed to prolonged operation without proper maintenance and overloading of passengers.
Mr Katanga also said the government has already released TSh 1.2bn for the rehabilitation of 30 buses, with 20 already repaired and ready to resume service. “We are confident that commuters will enjoy improved services,” he said, thanking the public for their patience and urging them to take care of the buses.
One resident of Mbezi said promises of improved services must be matched with action. “Even if 500 more buses are added, it will not help unless there is commitment, accountability and proper management,” she said.
TAZARA rehabilitation underway, and resumption of cross-border services
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) said its long-awaited revitalisation programme has entered an active stage following the mobilisation of equipment, technical personnel and other resources by its partner, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
The state-run CCECC is set to revitalise TAZARA through a USD$1.4bn investment for rehabilitation and operations, securing a 30-year concession to run the key trade route connecting Zambia’s copper belt to the Dar es Salaam port.
TAZARA Managing Director and CEO, Mr Bruno Ching’andu, said the move marked a critical transition from planning to implementation, laying the groundwork for phased rehabilitation of the ageing railway infrastructure. He said engineering teams were already on the ground conducting detailed assessments of the railway infrastructure to determine priority areas for intervention.
“The transformation of TAZARA will not happen overnight,” said Mr Ching’andu. “The programme is being implemented in phases, and while there may be temporary service adjustments, the end goal is a safer, more reliable and predictable railway.”
In mid-January, President Samia Suluhu Hassan hosted a visit from the Chinese Foreign Minister Mr Wang Yi, who described TAZARA as a historic symbol of China–Tanzania friendship and said China is ready to support improvements to enhance the railway’s efficiency and stimulate economic growth.
Further, in a separate development in February 2026, (but perhaps also as a sign of renewed attention), TAZARA reintroduced cross-border passenger services between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia. The service was suspended in June 2024 due to what TAZARA described as “technical challenges.”
In a statement issued January 6, 2025, TAZARA said the resumption would reaffirm the authority’s founding mandate of promoting regional mobility, trade, tourism and people-to-people interaction.
Under the reorganisation, passenger services between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri Mposhi will be rationalised, with weekly trips reduced from four to two, an adjustment that will enable the consolidation of passenger coaches and locomotives.
The Mukuba international train is now operating once per week in each direction, departing Dar es Salaam at 15.50 on Fridays and returning from Kapiri Mposhi at 14.00 on Tuesdays.
“The adjustment in service frequency reflects the realities of operating an ageing fleet undergoing phased rehabilitation. Our priority is to deploy available coaches and locomotives where they deliver the greatest public benefit, while maintaining safety, affordability and operational reliability,” said Mr Ching’andu. SGR line faces high demand and infrastructure challenges
The recently redeveloped central line railway, currently connecting Dar es Salaam with Morogoro and Dodoma, has faced a number of challenges.
In October 2025, the line recorded its first accident since electric train operations began, following the derailment of an electric multiple unit (EMU) train at Ruvu in Coast Region. Photos and videos shared online showed one section of the high-speed train off the tracks near a signal post, sparking public concern and debate over the cause. No injuries were reported.
Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) Director General Machibya Shiwa Masanja attributed the accident to an operational fault rather than infrastructure failure.
“There was a challenge in operations, not on the line. The infrastructure remained intact, except that an operational error caused the problem. That’s why we were able to restore services quickly,” Mr Machibya told Mwananchi newspaper. He said services resumed later in the day.
Then, in late December, heavy rains caused further issues, and trains were suspended. Masanja said the suspension was prompted by erosion of riverbanks near a railway bridge, not by any structural failure of the railway itself. “As a precautionary measure, we decided to suspend services to allow for reinforcement of the riverbanks,” he said.
This triggered criticism from some members of the public and politicians, who questioned how a railway completed barely a year ago could already be experiencing problems. Chadema vice chair John Heche criticised the project: “A mega project worth trillions of shillings has not even completed a year of operation – in fact, it has not even reached Mwanza. Why was there no proper feasibility study and detailed design?” he wrote.
Speaking during a visit to the affected area on January 2, Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba said the suspension of SGR services was not unusual and should be seen as a responsible safety measure.
“When there are strong winds affecting power lines, electricity flow becomes unstable. Those wishing ill for Tanzania want trains to continue operating regardless. You wouldn’t even transport potatoes in such conditions, yet you want people to travel on electric trains during storms,” he said.
Meanwhile, the SGR line has been facing a very different type of problem – a sign of success rather than difficulties: excessive demand. Particularly at weekends and holiday periods, tickets are regularly selling out several days before travel.
Responding to complaints, Mr Masanja said demand for SGR services currently outstrips the number of available routes. “It is true demand is high, but we are addressing the issue. We are in the final technical stages of increasing routes between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma,” he said.
Mr Masanja added that TRC has sufficient trains stationed in Dodoma, and the new operating model will allow trains to pass each other instead of turning back immediately, enabling the transport of more passengers each day.
ATCL route expansion
National airline Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has launched new routes connecting Dar es Salaam with Cape Town, South Africa, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Accra, Ghana.
The inaugural flight to Accra, operated by a Boeing 737-9 Max, was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport in January, a ceremonial honour reserved for significant aviation milestones. Accra becomes the 32nd destination and the second in West Africa after Lagos on the carrier’s growing network.
Transport Minister Prof Makame Mbarawa said the new route is more than just a commercial venture, describing it as a step toward realising the Pan-African aspirations championed by Tanzania’s founding president Julius Nyerere and Ghana’s first leader Kwame Nkrumah.
“These are not meant to be mere lines drawn on the map, but connections that bring Africans together,” Prof Mbarawa said, adding that the Accra service will provide travellers from West Africa with faster and more convenient access to destinations in the Far East, including China and India.
Increasing international connections
Other airlines have also increased their flights to Tanzania over recent months. This includes Brussels Airlines announcing plans to start direct flights to Kilimanjaro Airport from June 2026 and Etihad Airways announcing the resumption of direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Zanzibar for the 2026 summer season. Further, KLM and Air France both resumed services to Zanzibar that had been suspended in early 2025.