Miami Busway visited by Tanzanians

[Alpha]

South Miami Busway gets visited by a transit group from Tanzania
A transit group from Tanzania tours the South Miami-Dade Busway to get ideas for building a similar roadway in its largest city.
Miami Herald Staff Report

The South Miami-Dade Busway is so well-regarded that an African delegation flew thousands of miles to view it to see how they can build a similar system to help relieve traffic congestion on their streets.

A group of transit officials from Tanzania in east Africa toured the South Miami-Dade Busway to get a firsthand look at the popular Miami-Dade bus rapid transit system.

A welcoming committee of Miami-Dade Transit officials shared information with representatives from the DAR Rapid Transit Agency in Tanzania before taking them on a guided tour of the Busway.

The 20-mile stretch of the Busway is the United States' longest bus rapid transit line.

Tanzania's transit agency is planning a similar bus rapid transit system in Dar es Salaam, the country's largest city.

With a population of about 3 million and a woefully underdeveloped infrastructure, Dar es Salaam suffers from severe traffic congestion that can take hours to clear.

''It's a very serious problem, which is why we need to think of alternative systems, not only for the economy but for public health to reduce smog from emissions,'' DAR Chief Executive Cosmas P. M. Takule said.

DAR's planned bus rapid transit network calls for a privately operated system of dedicated bus lanes along the city's main arteries to be completed in six phases beginning next year. Since 2000 they have been saying they will begin next year, i wonder how much more expensive it is now, how much money has been wasted by the delays

''Tanzania has very few resources to provide mass transit, but they are struggling with traffic gridlock that is causing extreme economic hardship,'' Commissioner Katy Sorenson said after meeting with the African delegation.

''A system similar to our Busway, where dedicated transit lanes can connect the city's residents to jobs at the port of Dar es Salaam, will be a great improvement in the quality of life there,'' she added.

Miami-Dade Transit Director Harpal Kapoor said his agency was glad to help out the Tanzanians and flattered by the recognition.

''The fact that they wanted to see our system up close is a testament to the world-class reputation our Busway enjoys,'' Kapoor said.

South Miami Busway gets visited by a transit group from Tanzania - South Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

 

[kinetiq01]

Hi Alpha,

I'm pretty much convinced that we can find solutions for Dar Es Salaam congestion within our borders.I don't get it.Why spend thousands of precious dollars on silly tour like this.

I guess we have a different set of challenges from those facing the people of Miami.Theirs is to do with too many cars, but I think we are stuck because of poor management of resources.

Are the Dar Es Salaam authorities willing to ban all the mini buses [vipanya]? Are they willing to grant licences to major operators whose fleet of buses can service dozens of routes?Are they likely to centralise the operations?

I don't think they are, of course they can, but they are not willing to break with tradition.

 

[Steve Dii]

.... bila wizi, bila ufisadi, bila rushwa, bila kujisahau majukumu yetu; kuanzia ngazi za juu hadi chini kwa madereva: Ma-UDA na Ma-Hekarusi yetu bado yangelikuwepo na yangelikuwa bora zaidi sasa hivi...

.... kuanzia pale Kamata hadi Pugu na kuelekea Chanika leo hii tungelitilia mkazo matatizo yetu na kuwa watu endelevu, basi pangelikuwa na additional line kwa ajili ya express train service kuserve maeneo hayo... maana space allocation tayari ipo (ilitengwa na Wajerumani !!!). Tumedumaa, shame on us na wanaotuongoza!

.... DART ikianza, na tukibakia katika hali ya kiutendaji kama ilivyosasa hivi.... baada ya miaka saba tu - i'm pushed to believe tutasikia wanatafuta mbinu nyingine za kupunguza msongamano au msaada katika kujenga reli kwa ajili ya 'bullet train'......

.... Tanzania: Let's think beyond 25 years - Where are our strategic planners?!

 

[Koba]

...hapa JK ni kuwa dikteta tuu,weka pembeni wajinga wote wa jiji,then contract Japanese waje na solution,maana Economy inayokuwa wasted na hizi foleni ni billions.

 

[Ogah]

...hapa JK ni kuwa dikteta tuu,weka pembeni wajinga wote wa jiji,then contract Japanese waje na solution,maana Economy inayokuwa wasted na hizi foleni ni billions.

.......sijui kama wanaelewa hilo.......na hata wakielewa sijui kama wako tayari kulifanyia kazi............

SteveD..........kweli inasikitisha sana kuhusu UDA.....utaratibu mzuri upo....ila basi tu watu wameamua kuwa viziwi

 

[The Khoisan]

Jamaa walienda kujitafutia allowance tu. Kama mradi ulikuwa uanze 2000 kwa nini wanaenda leo in maana miaka yote ile walikuwa hawajui wanajiandaa kwa lipi. Serikali ya Mbabaishaji iko hapa sasa watu wanjitafutioa ulaji. Sidhani mradi huo utafanikiwa ndani ya serikali ya JK maybe waanze kuplan for 2015.

 

[Mkandara]

WATU na MAZINGIRA!...ni somo jipya, kila siku tumeshindwa kufikiria hilo.. MIAMI na DAR wapi na wapi!

 

[Cynic]

Hi Alpha,


Are the Dar Es Salaam authorities willing to ban all the mini buses [vipanya]? Are they willing to grant licences to major operators whose fleet of buses can service dozens of routes?Are they likely to centralise the operations?

Kuna European Journalist mmoja aliniambia kwamba kitu alichoona kwamba TZ tunaizidi Europe ni efficiency ya usafiri wa mijini (daladala)!

 

[skasuku]

Kuna European Journalist mmoja aliniambia kwamba kitu alichoona kwamba TZ tunaizidi Europe ni efficiency ya usafiri wa mijini (daladala)!

Cynic, unauhakika huyo jamaa journalist alikua serious? Na maana ya efficiency ni nini hapa, ili tujue tathmini yake. Ukiniuliza mimi, usafiri tuliokua nao enzi zile za UDA (late 1980's) ni bora kabisa kuliko sasa, kwani wakati ule kulikua na mabasi sio hizi panyaz vya sasa. Pia mabasi yalikua na timetable, ulikua unajua ni muda gani basi flani litapita.

Solution yetu ya usafiri hasa DSM, ni serekali kuhakikisha wanaleta mfumo wa kampuni moja au mbili tuu ndio watakao toa huduma za usafiri, na kuhakikisha ni aina moja au mbili ya mabasi yatatumika. Sio mtu anakurupuka na kuagiza haya majeneza tunayoona yanafanya hizi shughuli zausafiri.

Pia serekali waweze kuweka tight controls za haya makampuni kuhakikisha usalama wa abiria, nauli hazipandishwi kiholela, na waajiriwa wa haya makampuni wawe professional, na sio wapiga debe wa sasa....

 

[Alpha]

Kuna European Journalist mmoja aliniambia kwamba kitu alichoona kwamba TZ tunaizidi Europe ni efficiency ya usafiri wa mijini (daladala)!

You've got to be kidding me.

Are you sure the guy wasn't being sarcastic?

 

[255Texter]

Cynic, unauhakika huyo jamaa journalist alikua serious? Na maana ya efficiency ni nini hapa, ili tujue tathmini yake. Ukiniuliza mimi, usafiri tuliokua nao enzi zile za UDA (late 1980's) ni bora kabisa kuliko sasa, kwani wakati ule kulikua na mabasi sio hizi panyaz vya sasa. Pia mabasi yalikua na timetable, ulikua unajua ni muda gani basi flani litapita.

Solution yetu ya usafiri hasa DSM, ni serekali kuhakikisha wanaleta mfumo wa kampuni moja au mbili tuu ndio watakao toa huduma za usafiri, na kuhakikisha ni aina moja au mbili ya mabasi yatatumika. Sio mtu anakurupuka na kuagiza haya majeneza tunayoona yanafanya hizi shughuli zausafiri.

Pia serekali waweze kuweka tight controls za haya makampuni kuhakikisha usalama wa abiria, nauli hazipandishwi kiholela, na waajiriwa wa haya makampuni wawe professional, na sio wapiga debe wa sasa....

I respectifully disagree with your proposed solution, simply for the reason that ili kupata hiyo kampuni moja au mbili, lazima patakuwa na rushwa na mizengwe ya ajabu. Pia, haitaingia akilini mwa wengi wa wakazi wa Dar watakaposikia kwamba kampuni pekee ya usafiri ni ya Kingunge Ngombare Mwiru kama ilivyo for the parking company au ubungo bus terminal. Let's find way of stopping ufisadi na sio kutoa nafasi zaidi kwa mafisadi.

 

[Kana-Ka-Nsungu]

I respectifully disagree with your proposed solution, simply for the reason that ili kupata hiyo kampuni moja au mbili, lazima patakuwa na rushwa na mizengwe ya ajabu. Pia, haitaingia akilini mwa wengi wa wakazi wa Dar watakaposikia kwamba kampuni pekee ya usafiri ni ya Kingunge Ngombare Mwiru kama ilivyo for the parking company au ubungo bus terminal. Let's find way of stopping ufisadi na sio kutoa nafasi zaidi kwa mafisadi.

Kwa hiyo unataka tuendelee kuteseka tu kwa kigezo cha 'kuogopa rushwa?'

 

[Cynic]

Cynic, unauhakika huyo jamaa journalist alikua serious? Na maana ya efficiency ni nini hapa, ili tujue tathmini yake. Ukiniuliza mimi, usafiri tuliokua nao enzi zile za UDA (late 1980's) ni bora kabisa kuliko sasa, kwani wakati ule kulikua na mabasi sio hizi panyaz vya sasa. Pia mabasi yalikua na timetable, ulikua unajua ni muda gani basi flani litapita.

Solution yetu ya usafiri hasa DSM, ni serekali kuhakikisha wanaleta mfumo wa kampuni moja au mbili tuu ndio watakao toa huduma za usafiri, na kuhakikisha ni aina moja au mbili ya mabasi yatatumika. Sio mtu anakurupuka na kuagiza haya majeneza tunayoona yanafanya hizi shughuli zausafiri.

Pia serekali waweze kuweka tight controls za haya makampuni kuhakikisha usalama wa abiria, nauli hazipandishwi kiholela, na waajiriwa wa haya makampuni wawe professional, na sio wapiga debe wa sasa....

You've got to be kidding me.

Are you sure the guy wasn't being sarcastic?

skasuku, Alpha,

He wasn't intending to taunt na hata mimi sikukubaliana naye and .

Ila efficiency kwa huyu jamaa ilikuwa ni pamoja na hili hali ya kutokuwepo kwa fixed timetable (- e.g. gari linajaa na kuondoka). Anadai hii ni kwa baadhi ya routes za Dar kama vile Posta Z - Mtoni, Ubungo - Posta, etc. na za Mwanza kama vile Pansiasi, Mwaloni, n.k. Alijaribu personally na kwa maoni yake ni bora kuliko miji mingi ya kwao. Kwake inakaribia ya Subways za Paris (one of the best in the world). Miji mingi ya kwao frequency ya mabasi/subways ni kubwa asubuhi tu.

Vingine alivyogusia ni flexibility (e.g. washuka popote) na nauli (wote twajua ni just a fraction ya za kwao).

Quality of service ni story nyingine ...