The island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, is well known for its cloves and other spices. It used to be a sultanate, and the architecture is an interesting mix of old Arab housing and modern socialist appartment blocks, built when Tanzania had ties with the Soviet Union. Public transport on the island consists of taxis and "market buses", called "dala-dala". The name dala-dala is used also on mainland Tanzania for bush-taxis and dates from the time when it was a German colony and a public transport ride would costs 1 Thaler.

The dala-dala used on the rural routes on Zanzibar are Leyland, TATA and Isuzu trucks with an open wooden body. The first half of the body has cross bench seats, while the rear half has seats along the sides. Large amounts of vegetables and fuelwood are carried on the roof of the buses. A tarpolin protects passengers against the heavy rains on the hot and humid island. The system is well organized, with numbered 10 bus routes. Each vehicle carries its route number.

Chassis Manufacturer:

various

Photo Location:

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Photo Date:

April, 1997

Photo Provided By:

John Veerkamp

Originally published on WBX:

       15-June-2001