Moving from one point to another is a nightmare for most Dar es Salaam residents, who must endure agonisingly hot days and long hours stuck in traffic jams.

Tumaini Masawe spends almost four hours daily commuting from home to work. Because of unreliable public transport, she is sometimes forced to board several buses to reach her office in the bustling Kariakoo district.

"Public transport is a big headache to me. If I don't wake up early, I find no bus at all to take me to work," she said.

The 38 year-old entrepreneur, who lives in the Kimara area on the outskirts of the city, spends about 5,000 Tanzanian shillings (£1.93) daily on fares for buses, mini-buses and three-wheeled mini-taxis.

"Traffic jams are getting worse every single day," she said. "Everywhere you go, you find people stuck in traffic. There are simply too many cars in this city."

In a bid to decongest the city and reduce growing traffic emissions, Tanzania is implementing a multi-million dollar low carbon transport project, which will bring in state of the art, high capacity commuter buses to cater for the growing urban population.

According to Asteria Mlambo, acting chief executive for the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (Dart), the new system was conceived after officials realised a surge in the city population and people's urge to own and drive private cars was slowy paralysing traffic flow in the city.

"We have made a thorough analysis on how to avoid traffic jams, and came up with this idea, which is cheaper, comfortable and affordable to all users," she said.

According to Mlambo, the 400bn shilling project known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is starting with a six-month programme to create the infrastructure required for the buses, including special lanes along 30km of the city's major roads.

What will set BRT apart from the city's existing bus service, she said, is quality, high-capacity buses, exclusive bus lanes, cleaner emissions and faster travelling times.

Crucially, analysts say, city officials will also curb the number of buses allowed into the city centre, prioritising large and efficient ones.

According to the Mlambo, Dart's CEO, 145 high-capacity buses, able to carry over 140 passengers each, will be used on seven major routes within the central part of the city. In addition, 221 buses capable of carrying 50 passengers each will be used on 15 routes outside the main corridors.

She said most of those vehicles – which will replace over 9,541 small minibuses and vans currently carrying commuters – will be hybrid buses, to the engines of which an electric device will be added to make them quieter, cleaner and more fuel efficient.

According to the country's directorate of climate change, Tanzania has relatively low greenhouse gas emissions, both in overall and per capita terms. However, experts say emissions are likely to increase significantly over the next 20 years, in line with economic and population growth.

Mlambo said the new transport system, which will be run by private investors, should be less expensive for commuters, who will use smart cards instead of cash to board the buses.

Some of the buses under the Dart system will start operating this year, before the project's overall completion, she predicted.

According to the Confederation of Tanzania Industries, traffic jams are absorbing up to 20% of the annual profits of many businesses in Dar es Salaam, which is Tanzania's largest city. While traffic congestion affects all sectors of the economy, companies dealing with the supply of perishable consumer goods find it particularly difficult to make timely deliveries.

A confederation survey estimates that about 4 billion Tanzanian shillings are lost daily to traffic jams in Dar es Salaam.

Dar regional commissioner Said Meck Sadick said that, apart from reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and improving transport, the BRT project could also attract investment and create jobs.

According to Sadick, the first phase of the BRT project is expected to create 80,000 direct and indirect jobs.

A cross-section of Dar residents have expressed enthusiasm that the new project will help them avoid transportation woes.

"I think it is a good idea. We need to be a little patient while the infrastructure is being fixed, [but] I hope this project is going to help us a lot" said local resident Issa Maulid.

The Dar Association of Commuter Buses Owners has expressed support for the new system and urged its members to establish a company that would have a stake in Dart bus operations.

"I urge fellow members to come together and form a company that would take the lead in modern bus operations once tenders are floated to the public," said Sabri Mabrouk, the association's chairman.

A cross section of Daladala owners who spoke to Thomson Reuters Foundation said they understand the government will assign them new routes, outside the city centre, to allow Dart buses to get smoothly into the city centre.

"We are not against this move but we urge the government to upgrade all the rough roads that they plan to assign us," said John Massawe, a minibus owner.

According to a traffic congestion study last year by Ardhi University, various initiatives to minimise congestion in Dar es Salaam – including more traffic lanes on roads and new overpasses and underpasses on main road intersections – will not entirely solve the city's growing transport problems.

Projected to become a megacity by 2034, Dar es Salaam has an estimated population growth rate of 8%, one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. The city population has surged from 850,000 in 1978 to about 4 million in 2007.

"The rise in population will continue to exert pressure on road infrastructures unless deliberate efforts are made to address traffic congestion," said Robert Kiunsi, an environmental expert from Ardhi University who took part in the research.

It is estimated that only 2.5% of Dar es Salaam is covered by roads. Guidelines suggest 15-20% coverage is desirable.

David Mziray, communications manager for the Surface and Marine Transport Authority, said improvement of road infrastructure is the ultimate goal to decongest the city.

He estimated the total number of motor vehicles in the city – including including cars, motorcycles and taxis – to be 1.2m.