{{Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, will have 3,000 modern buses that are furnished with an Internet café, wireless Internet and a mini-restaurant by the end of this year local media reports.}}
Public transport in Dar es Salaam—home to about 4.5 million people and which has been in a shambles for years, is awash with sub-standard buses owned by desparate transporters and operated by mainly irresponsible, reckless drivers and touts.
With demand exceeding supply, using public transport in the city especially during the peak hours, is normally chaotic and sometimes dangerous to commuters.
Currently, there are 9,541 mini-buses, famously known as daladala, licensed to provide public transport, but 20% of these are often grounded due to mechanical faults, according to data obtained by local media.
However, the Dar-es-Salaam Regional Transport Licensing Authority (DRTLA) says the number of privately owned buses is estimated to be between 6,000 and 7,500.
Bus service accounts for about 70% of public transport in Dar es Salaam, according to latest statistics.
At least 40% of these vehicles are substandard, meaning they aren’t fit to carry passengers.
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