By Nicodemus Ikonko
Construction of an ultra-modern bus terminal at Bondeni, some 12 kilometres southwest of Arusha City, will start in June this year, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Arusha Urban, Mr. Mrisho Gambo, has said.
Once ready, upcountry buses will utilise the outer ring East African By-Pass Road to avoid traffic congestion in the Central Business District (CBD).
Addressing leaders of Arusha Region’s Council of Elders recently, Mr. Gambo confirmed that the tender for the contract had been issued, and the selection process for the awardee was underway.
The government, he said, had secured financing from the World Bank under the Tanzania Cities Transforming Infrastructure and Competitiveness (TACTIC) Project, coordinated by the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).
The bus terminal project for Arusha was part of that initiative.
Once completed, the terminal will feature adequate embarking and disembarking bays, passenger waiting areas, restaurants, shops, toilets, offices, a police post, and other amenities including resting rooms, a fuel service area, ample vehicle parking space, and robust security measures such as an all-around perimeter fence and CCTV cameras, according to sources at the Arusha City Council.
The project is estimated to cost about Sh 20 billion, according to the legislator.
Arusha, Tanzania’s diplomatic and tourism capital, as well as a global conference destination, sees at least 400 buses daily travelling to Dar es Salaam, the capital, Dodoma, the Lake Zone regions, and Nairobi, Kenya, which is only six hours’ drive away.
