Dar es Salaam. The Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) has announced that it will discontinue the use of paper tickets on its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system starting from March 1, 2025.
Commuters will be required to use smart cards for fare payments, a measure aimed at enhancing efficiency and revenue collection.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam at the end of a meeting to discuss the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project, DART’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Athumani Kihamia, urged all BRT passengers to acquire and use smart cards, which are already available at key stations.
“We have been urging commuters to embrace smart card usage, but some still rely on paper tickets. I want to emphasise that as of March 1, 2025, paper tickets will no longer be accepted. All passengers must use smart cards for fare payment,” Dr Kihamia stated.
He said the adoption of smart cards would eliminate challenges associated with cash handling, including issues of change shortages and enhance revenue management by preventing leakages and losses.
Mbagala-bound BRT services to start on March 31
In a related development, Dr Kihamia revealed that the government has signed a contract with a service provider for the second phase of the BRT project, which will extend services along Kilwa Road to Mbagala.
He assured commuters that operations would commence on March 31, 2025.
“The government, under the leadership of President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, has fulfilled its commitment. From March 31, Mbagala-bound commuters will start enjoying the long-awaited BRT services,” he said.
Dr Kihamia also noted that commuters on the Mbagala route would be required to use smart cards from the outset to avoid the ticketing challenges experienced in the first phase of the project.
