ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi last week launched the Isles’ first fleet of 12-metre electric buses, marking a significant milestone in efforts to modernise public transport and embrace clean energy.
More importantly, the initiative demonstrates that the transition from diesel-powered buses to cleaner, more efficient and sustainable urban mobility is no longer a distant aspiration but a practical policy choice.
In taking this bold step, Zanzibar has signalled its commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship and a transport system fit for the future. At a time when diesel-powered buses remain the dominant mode of public transport in many parts of the country, the Isles have chosen to chart a different course.
Their decision deserves close national attention, not simply because the buses are electric, but because they challenge policymakers, transport operators and investors to rethink how Tanzania should power public transport in the years ahead. Electric buses are often viewed through the lens of environmental protection. Yet their greatest promise may lie in economics.
Although they require higher upfront investment, they generally cost less to operate over their lifetime, consume domestically generated electricity instead of imported fuel and require less maintenance than conventional diesel buses.
As Tanzania expands electricity generation, the time has come to ask whether more of that electricity should power public transport instead of financing ever-larger diesel imports. To be fair, the transition to cleaner transport is not entirely new to Tanzania.
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The electrified Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has already demonstrated the government’s commitment to modern, low-emission transport infrastructure, while the 2026/27 national budget introduced fiscal incentives to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles.
These are important steps in the right direction, but Zanzibar has now set a benchmark that invites others to match or even surpass its ambition.
Zanzibar’s initiative suggests that the pace of change can be quicker and more visible. While policy incentives create an enabling environment, putting electric buses into daily service demonstrates what is possible when vision is matched by action.
The electric buses launched last week carry more than passengers. They carry a message about the kind of transport system and ultimately the kind of economy Tanzania wants to build.
If electricity can power modern trains and government policy now encourages electric vehicles, the next frontier should be public buses serving our towns and cities. The question is no longer whether the transition will come, but how quickly Tanzania is prepared to embrace it.