A TRIAL rapid transit bus powered by natural gas is set to begin operations next week along the Morocco–Gerezani route, targeting digital card passengers.

Waziri Kindamba, UDART managing director, made this affirmation at the bus launch accompanied by opening a natural gas refuelling station at the Ubungo bus terminal near the TCRA tower, built by the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC).

Passengers with digital fare cards will enjoy free rides for one week as part of the pilot phase, to showcase improvements in the long-troubled public transport project, he said.

The filling station has capacity to serve over 1,000 vehicles daily and is part of broader efforts to promote the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in public and private transport, he said.

Dr Doto Biteko, the deputy premier and Energy, underscored the importance of natural gas in reducing energy costs and enhancing environmental sustainability.

The newly introduced bus is the first of 100 expected to be procured being used as a test vehicle to gather feedback from drivers, technicians and passengers.

The 99 buses are expected within three months, operating along the Kimara–Kivukoni and Morocco–Gerezani routes, the UDART CEO noted.

“The delay in delivery has been due to the production process, where engines and gearboxes are sourced from Germany and assembled in China,” he explained, noting that the current fleet is ageing and insufficient, causing service disruptions and public dissatisfaction.

“We know many people have been disappointed. The system turned from rapid to rage,” he moaned, vowing that the new buses would offer modern amenities such as air conditioning and phone charging ports.

He said that 2025 would mark the end of the city's transport challenges, with a reliable and modern bus system with tiered fares, pointing out that the Mbagala route will be managed through public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements, given the favourable investment environment.

A 2017/18 study found that 265 to 305 buses were needed for the first phase of the city BRT system, with 80 to 100 believed to be in operation, while transport demand grows at 2.5percent annually, he said.

Judith Kapinga, the deputy minister, praised President Samia Suluhu Hassan for astute leadership in pushing forward the energy agenda. The new facility, which operates 24 hours a day and can refuel up to 1,200 vehicles, will ease congestion at the Ubungo Maziwa refuelling point.

Dr James Mataragio, the deputy permanent secretary, commended TPDC and UDART for their collaboration, asserting that the new CNG station is the second-largest in Africa and biggest in East Africa.

Ombeni Sefue, the TPDC board chairman, expressed frustration over previous fuel shortages and long queues and pledged consistent availability of natural gas moving forward.

Francis Mwakapalila, the TPDC acting managing director, hinted at five mobile CNG stations being in procurement stage for Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Dodoma as part of efforts to scale up CNG adoption nationwide.

Emmanuel Gilbert, the director of oil business, said that the new station can deliver 4.2m cubic feet of gas, and features four pumping points accommodating eight vehicles at once.