Surbana Jurong subsidiary to expand Dar es Salaam bus network

Photo source: The Citizen Tanzania

Infrastructure consulting firm SMEC, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Surbana Jurong, has been appointed as the project management and construction supervision consultant for the fifth phase of Dar es Salaam’s bus rapid transit (BRT) programme. The expansion of Dar es Salaam’s BRT system comes as more African cities consider BRT as a solution for transport challenges.

This new contract marks SMEC’s continued role in one of Tanzania’s largest urban transportation initiatives, having previously contributed to the first and third phases of the BRT project. The current phase covers a 26.4 km corridor and includes approximately 34 bus stations, seven feeder stations, three depots, and three terminals.

Dar es Salaam, one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities, accounts for around 40% of Tanzania’s urban population. With an estimated five million residents, the city’s population is expected to double by 2030. Before the BRT system, public transport was limited, with few buses and no formal schedules to help commuters plan their journeys. Private minibus taxis filled this gap. To address these challenges, the city began implementing a six-phase BRT system totalling 140.1 km.

As part of this phase, SMEC will oversee construction management and ensure compliance with engineering designs, technical specifications, and contractual requirements. Its scope of work includes monitoring construction quality, managing project timelines, and upholding safety and environmental standards throughout the project.

Rapid urbanisation in Africa, among the highest globally, will place over half the continent’s population in urban centres by 2035. Besides Dar es Salaam, cities like Luanda, Cairo, Kinshasa, Lagos, and Greater Johannesburg will all exceed 10m residents. By 2035, Africa will have a further 17 urban areas with over 5m people and close to 100 cities with populations above 1m. Cities such as Addis Ababa, Kampala and Abidjan are projected to grow at annual rates of close to 10%.

Although urbanisation is frequently associated with economic growth, the constant flow of people is placing significant pressure on transport systems. Cities face rising vehicle numbers, heavier commuter volumes, worsening congestion, and limited public transit, thereby undermining economic competitiveness and affecting residents’ quality of life.

In response, more African cities are implementing BRT networks. Though these systems differ from city to city, most BRT buses run on dedicated lanes, allowing them to bypass traffic and provide reliable travel times. Passengers typically prepay at designated stations, reducing delays and enhancing operational efficiency. BRT systems are often both cost-effective and quick to implement, making them ideal for cities aiming to establish robust transit networks within budget constraints. In addition to Dar es Salaam, BRT systems currently operate in Lagos, Dakar, and the South African cities of Cape Town, George, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. Plans for BRT initiatives are also underway in Abidjan, Douala, Kampala, Kumasi, Maputo, and Ouagadougou. The experience of dedicated commuter bus lanes, however, has not uniformly been good. In some cases, the introduction of BRT has only contributed to the traffic congestion and chaos. It is common for two-wheel riders in some Asian and African cities to violate BRT lanes and use it to beat traffic jams. Motorists also complain of being squeezed into even narrower road lanes to accommodate the BRT.

 

References

‘With bus rapid transit, African cities are riding toward a better future’, World Bank, 29 November 2022

‘The Dakar BRT system’s pioneering journey towards inclusive electrification in Africa’, ITDP Africa, 11 March 2024

‘Rapidly urbanising Africa to have six cities with populations above 10m by 2035’, The Guardian, 22 August 2024

‘SMEC secures PMCS role for Dar Es Salaam BRT, Phase 5’, SMEC, 14 October 2024

‘Building sustainable transport systems for a growing city’, Proparco, Accessed 29 October 2024