DART team visits Ahmedabad, India

Posted: 29 May 2009

Related to: Ahmedabad BRT, Developing High-Quality, Low-Cost Mass Transit, India
Contributed by: Chris Kost, ITDP India

ITDP and the city of Ahmedabad recently hosted representatives from the city of Dar es Salaam who came to learn more about the Ahmedabad’s Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). The delegation included Cosmas Takule, chief exectutive at the Dar Rapid Transit (DART) Agency; Enoch Kitandu, director of system and operations, DART; Asteria Mlambo, director of transportation and development, DART; Honorable Ahmed Mwilima, Deputy Mayor of Dar es Salaam; and Dismas Fuko, from the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation.

Ahmedabad’s initial 12.5 km BRTS corridor is in the final stages of construction. On a site visit to the corridor, the delegates had an opportunity to tour new stations and take a ride in a BRTS bus.


Officials from Dar es Salaam visit the Nehrunagar BRTS station

Seeing the live construction process helped the DART officials identify some of the pitfalls that they may encounter as they begin construction of their own system in the coming months. DART officials took home useful lessons, such as the importance of identifying utility lines prior to commencing with major construction activities. Looking at the meaningful steps that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation was taking to rectify some instances of poor construction, Asteria Mlambo from the DART Agency remarked, “Knowing the problem is half of solving it.”

As for the non-motorized transport infrastructure along the phase 1 corridor, the delegates found some features they liked and others that need improvement. Cosmas Takule noted that the pedestrian crossings to bus stations are signalized and expressed interest in implementing similar facilities in the Dar es Salaam. Meanwhile, he felt that the cycle facilities seemed inadequate for the kind of ridership that the city can expect to have in the future.


Delegates meet with I. P. Gautam, Ahmedabad’s Municipal Commissioner, and Utpal Padia, Deputy Municipal Commissioner

The Dar es Salaam officials met with staff of the Ahmedabad Municipal Coporation, the fare collection system provider, and bus manufacturers. The delegates were impressed by the level of commitment to the project on the part of Corporation officials. Ms. Mlambo said she hoped to generate a similar level of buy-in on the part of the local authority in Dar es Salaam. “It’s very challenging to convince the public that BRT is a good idea,” she said, “but the municipality has the power to stop resistance.”


Ranjit Kamat from Kaizen demonstrates the fare collection and bus tracking devices that will be installed in the Ahmedabad BRTS system

The DART Agency will soon put out a request for tenders for physical works on the 20.9 km phase 1 network. After construction begins, the Agency plans to hold road shows for prospective bus operators.