editor
When a heavy-duty lorry crashed into a newly built Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stand earlier this month, it didn’t just damage public infrastructure it struck a nerve across Dar es Salaam.
The mangled structure now stands as a painful reminder of a bigger issue quietly plaguing Tanzania’s busiest city: the overwhelming presence of large commercial vehicles in areas not designed to handle them. The sight of massive trucks thundering through narrow, central roads has become so common that many residents barely bat an eye—until something goes wrong.
Despite city authorities’ efforts to manage lorry traffic during peak hours, heavy vehicles continue to clog key arteries, often at the expense of safety and efficiency. For drivers and pedestrians alike, sharing the road with these massive machines means navigating constant risk from avoidable accidents to crumbling roads and hours wasted in traffic jams.
The problem isn’t new, but the cost is growing. In fact, the government has earmarked a staggering Sh301.72 billion to repair roads and bridges damaged by rains and flooding between June 2023 and April 2024. According to Deputy Minister Zainab Katimba, the funds will go toward restoring more than 1,700 kilometers of road, hundreds of culverts and bridges, and tens of thousands of meters of drainage systems.
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While much of that damage was caused by extreme weather, experts say heavy trucks are making things worse—particularly on roads that weren’t built for constant pounding by oversized cargo haulers. “The wear and tear is undeniable,” said one urban planning specialist. “We’re seeing infrastructure aging faster than it should, and that comes with a heavy cost.”
The rise in cargo traffic is partly due to improvements at the country’s ports, which have increased efficiency and throughput. That’s good news for trade, but it’s also brought more trucks into the city. Johansen Kahatano from the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) confirmed that the transport boom is directly affecting urban roads.
Even the BRT system, a flagship public transport project meant to ease traffic and modernize commuting, is feeling the pressure. The Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) recently called out the misuse of its infrastructure—not just by truck drivers, but also by motorcyclists and informal traders who have turned pedestrian walkways into parking and vending spaces.
