Driving in Tanzania

Leaving Dar by car was an adventure in itself. We passed by the major bus station for all Tanzania travel radiating from Dar, which looked like something was being offered for free – but not. The buses and daladalas left the station almost in a péléton formation. It was early on that I noticed that I was serving shotgun to a very good driver, as Deo managed through significant traffic and people with good speed but caution.

We soon happened upon our first village where you slow to 50km/hr; it was a series of mud huts with thatched roofs. Advertisements for cell phones and Pepsi and Coke abound, and people sell everything from plastic baskets to woven baskets to vegetables along the road. This village layout is repeated about every 20 minutes, some varying larger than others if it is also a truck weigh station, creating a longer queue and more time for hawking goods.

The two-lane roads also offer some interesting views of competitive driving. I saw a bus pass a car with on-coming traffic, speeding forward without pause. If you ever find yourself traveling by bus in Tanzania, you want to find out the length of time that bus companies report between departure and arrival – and take the slowest. It simply improves your chance of safety. I saw many motobikes weaving among semi-trucks.

My favorite aspect to driving has been the minivan flair. Tanzanians know how to spruce up their public cross-country transit, with back window sun covers featuring Obama, Jay-Z, Will Smith, etc. The daladala minivans that shuttle between villages and cities are usually the most colorful with car names emblazoned across the front and back. I asked Deo why several daladalas had “TEXAS” in huge stickered letters on the front of the car. Deo replied that since Bush approved the PEPFAR AIDS funding and other aid assistance that directly benefitted Tanzania, he has many fans. The vans are a way to say thanks. Ha!

We arrived to Morogoro after several hours of driving and it is a beautiful place. Situated at the base of the Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro is visually stunning with a mist hanging along the mountain peaks, offering cooler weather than Dar. There is not much there otherwise – most of the 300,000 people live in mud or brick shacks. The government buildings range from bare-bones cement lean-tos (that’s where my meetings were held) to more stately cement construction (started here with regional officers; directed to the horticulture lean-tos down the mountain).

While it is known as an industrial town, that is more so due to the rail road that runs through rather than much industry. Ironically, we did see a Driver’s Ed car with a class in session as we drove into Morogoro. Either people have a short memory from that learning experience or that course actually encourages recklessness behind the wheel.