I was tired of feeling lost in Dar and constantly asking for bus directions, so I decided to solve it with code.
I think I've finally accepted that I have a toxic relationship with daladala routes.
Every time I need to go somewhere new in Dar, the adventure begins.
“Panda gari la Mwenge, shuka pale, halafu chukua la…”
By the third instruction I'm already fighting for my life.
As someone who's still relatively new to Dar, I constantly find myself asking people for directions. Most people are genuinely helpful, but sometimes I later discover there was a much cheaper, faster, and more direct route that I had no idea existed.
That made me realize something: daladala routes are basically hidden knowledge. They're not really mapped properly online, and Google Maps often doesn't know what's going on. It's like the routes exist in a parallel universe where only watu wa Dar have access.
So, instead of continuing to embarrass myself by asking “hii daladala inaenda wapi?” every other day, I decided to build something.
I created a small API to store daladala routes and fares, then built a Progressive Web App (PWA) on top of it. Now I can search for where I want to go and get possible route options, estimated fares, and which route is likely to be the cheapest or fastest. Basically, I get a game plan before I even leave home.
It's still a work in progress. The database currently contains a mix of real and sample data (as you may see from the screenshots) because mapping the entire daladala network is a serious mission. To help with that, I added a contribution feature so anyone can submit routes they know. The dream is for it to slowly become a community-built map of Dar's transport network.
This isn't a startup or a subscription thing. It's literally a hobby project that came from me getting tired of being confused every time someone says “shukia Mawasiliano halafu panda la Masaki afu chukua la....”.
If you're curious to try it, or you're a developer who wants to contribute, send me a DM and I'll share the link.
Also, be honest: what's the daladala route that confused you the most when you first came to Dar? Because i'm convinced everyone has that one route that made them question their entire existence lol.
Edit: Wow, I honestly didn't expect this much interest.
Thank you all for the messages, feedback, and support! Since so many people actually want to use it, I'm going to focus on improving the route data asap so it becomes genuinely useful for everyone.
