Transportation in Tanzania

Getting around Tanzania can be a real adventure. Never does a car leave the apartment complex with only one person in it. There are very few cars, so always there is someone needing a ride in the direction the car is going. But there are many ways to get around Tanzania.

The roads are busy, even if few people own cars. The most common forms of transportation are on foot, by bicycle, on a motorbike, in a car, by Landrover, using a dala dala (a small van that seats as many people as they can shove onto it) or by bus. Everyone shares the same road, whether paved or dirt. But there is a pecking order for who has the right of way.

Near as I can tell, the rule is, the fastest modes of transportation have the right of way. So everyone moves out of the way for anything with four wheels or more and an engine. Next comes anything with two wheels and an engine. Next comes anything with two wheels. Finally comes critters with two or more legs.

Pedestrians do not have the right of way. If a person is on the road and a car is coming at full speed, it's up to the pedestrian to move out of the way. The car will honk, but rarely slow down. The same is true for bicycles and animals. The only exception that I've seen so far is a herd of cows and goats. Vehicles slow down for them until their herder can clear them from the road.

It seems that bicycles are a force in commerce here. It's amazing to see what they put on those two-wheelers. I've seen such things as four people; two cases of soda; two four-foot tall bags of homemade charcoal; piles of lumber, some as long as 10 feet; eight crates of eggs; and sometimes there's even one person riding a bike! Usually, the bicycles are so heavy with their produce that the person is pushing it instead of riding it.

The roads are iffy at best. There are paved highways that aren't too bad. They are still lined with people, bikes, etc., but one can make pretty good time on them. The back roads can range from well-groomed dirt to little more than a goat path. To drive the backroads, it's best to have a four-wheel drive vehicle. Even then, it's not unheard of to get stuck. This is the rainy season, so the potholes are filled with water and soft on the bottom. There are good drivers here, so usually they make it through the tough spots without trouble.

We're on the go all the time. I haven't gotten stuck, yet, but look forward to the day. Until then, I'll just be a good passenger and leave the driving to the experts.