Global Transport Atlas

GTA-117 Tanzania, Gutas

Series 1 - Global Transport Notes

Tanzania, cycling

Introduction Bikes have more uses - and more wheels - than people may realise. They often provide an important means for the transport of goods and produce. In Tanzania, 3-wheel Gutas are widely used to transport both wholesale and retail goods. Gutas provide an environmentally-friendly means of transport for low income workers. They offer a viable alternative to pick-up trucks for transporting goods between city markets, and can help reduce fuel import costs, provide employment and business opportunities for the urban poor and reduce smog in the city environment.

Source: UWABA Robert Bartlett (ed.)

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Road safety

Global Transport Atlas Series 1 - Global Transport Notes

UWABA, the Dar es Salaam cyclists organisation,argues that opportunities for road safety training should also be made available to guta-drivers. UWABA also argues that users of these types of cycles should be given at least as much priority as is given to car and other vehicle drivers when designing roads, and should be consulted as equal stakeholders.

Dimensions / 2 Gutas can take up as much road space as a small car.

Employment Gutas provide a source of employment.

Dimensions / 2 Cycle lanes which are provided for Gutas must be based on the dimensions of these vehicles plus the loads they typically carry. The overall width of the load in the photo on the left is probably around 2 metres.

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Global Transport Atlas Series 1 - Global Transport Notes

Cover notes and Disclaimer

This is a research document. The best efforts have been made to make sure the figures are correct. However no liability can be taken for any of the details, information or analysis in this document. The layout, look and feel of this document is copyright. The photos are generally copyright of UWABA. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/

GTA documents series Global Transport Atlas is a project with two aims. One is
to encourage people around the world to share examples of how they actually use transport in their daily lives. The other is to compare and improve the design of transport infrastructure. There are the following GTA document series: Series 1 - global transport notes A collection of papers on transport infrastructure and vehicles from various countries, prepared by various authors and contributors. Typical size 2 to 3 pages. Series 3 - discussion papers

History and Change log

First version published 2008. Version 117.02-a (July 2012) - this version and version number, with modified layout and minor modifications to the content.

Papers with arguments and ideas on different aspects of modern transport and transport infrastructure. Series 7 - Dimensions of vehicles Transport infrastructure has to be defined with an idea of the size and types of vehicle which will use it. This series looks into the dimensions of different types of vehicle at different periods of time. Papers include technical discussion notes and example dimensions. Typical size 20 pages and more.

About the contributors

UWABA Information and photos for the document were researched by UWABA, a cycle user group in Dar es Salaam. UWABA campaigns for better cycling conditions and promotes cycling as a sustainable means of transport. The aims of UWABA are to participate in road planning with the relevant Government and city authorities to ensure that roads include safe cycle lanes, to improve the environment and safety for cyclists, to assist cyclists to know and exercise their rights and responsibilities and to promote cycling as a sustainable means of transport for Dar es Salaam. The address of their website is http://www.uwaba.or.tz/ Robert Bartlett, Germany (editor) - is an experienced transportation and urban development studies engineer with over 25 years of professional experience. Current engineering work: includes technical research in highway design standards and applications in areas such as urban planning and highway engineering. Interests include applied GIS.

Contact
We welcome comments on this paper, and also on new developments in other countries in this field. Email: global.transport.atlas@gmail.com Web: http://globaltransportatlas.weebly.com/index.html

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