The problems of getting around the city of Dar es Salaam IELTS Reading Answers

If you are practising the IELTS Academic Reading passage "The Problems of Getting Around the City of Dar es Salaam", this guide gives you the complete answer key for Questions 14–26, along with keyword locations and clear explanations for every single answer. This passage appears as Passage 2 in the reading test and includes two question types: TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (Q14–18) and Note Completion – ONE WORD ONLY (Q19–26).

Many test-takers find this passage tricky because of the NOT GIVEN traps and the paraphrasing in the note-completion section. Let's break down every answer step by step.

Quick Answer Key: Questions 14–26

Passage Overview (What Is It About?)

The passage discusses Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — one of Africa's fastest-growing cities — and its severe transport problems. With the population expected to cross 10 million and turn the city into a megacity, roads built during the colonial era for just 35,000 people are now completely overwhelmed. Instead of building an expensive metro like many other African cities, Dar es Salaam has invested in a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system called DART, which the writer presents as a cheaper, more practical model for African megacities.

Note: The full passage is copyrighted Cambridge IELTS material, so we cannot reprint it here. Use your official Cambridge book or authorised practice materials to read the passage, then follow the paragraph-by-paragraph summary below to locate every answer.

Paragraph-by-Paragraph Summary of the Passage

Paragraph 1 – A city growing at incredible speed: Dar es Salaam's population has multiplied eight times over since 1980 and gains roughly half a million new residents each year. UN forecasts expect it to pass the 10-million megacity threshold within seven years and to hit around 13.4 million by 2035. One researcher even projects tens of millions of inhabitants by the end of the century.

Paragraph 2 – Where people live: Around 80% of residents live in low-rise, unofficial housing areas spread along the city's expanding edges. Commuting from these outskirts into the centre routinely takes more than two hours — and even longer when rain turns unpaved roads into mud.

Paragraph 3 – Daily traffic chaos: Congestion is constant. Traffic can grind to a halt without warning even at midday, and vehicles commonly wait around twenty minutes just to pass major junctions.

Paragraph 4 – Limited alternatives: Only one small suburban railway exists, serving a handful of southern districts — far too little for a city this size. Away from the centre, many residents depend on motorbike taxis (boda boda) to get through narrow lanes and damaged mud roads, despite their notoriously poor safety record.

Paragraph 5 – A colonial-era road network: The city still relies on just four main highways, a leftover from early-20th-century colonial planning designed for a town of only 35,000 people. As young job-seekers pour in from rural areas, the city keeps expanding around these same four roads — almost entirely on the outskirts and almost entirely without official planning. (This paragraph is key for Questions 17 and 18.)

Paragraph 6 – A different solution: Rather than copying other African cities that dream of metros, Dar es Salaam has deliberately chosen a cheaper, more realistic option: a high-quality bus network.

Paragraph 7 – How DART works: The DART BRT buses travel in their own dedicated lanes, usually placed in the middle of the road to avoid interruptions. Passengers buy and validate tickets at the station before getting on, and the step-free design makes the whole route usable for wheelchair users and parents with buggies. (Answers to Questions 19–21 come from here.)

Paragraph 8 – A commuter's experience: A young IT professional says the new buses have slashed his commute to a third of what it was, though he complains that drivers often leave the air conditioning off to conserve fuel. (Question 22.)

Paragraph 9 – Current problems: A severe flood at the main bus depot caused a vehicle shortage, so the network now moves about 200,000 passengers daily — only half of what was planned. Smartcard readers are broken, so everyone must buy single-use paper tickets. The tickets carry QR codes, but with no scanners available, staff simply tear tickets by hand at the entry gates, creating long queues at busy times. (Questions 23–26.)

Paragraph 10 – Expansion plans: The first phase covered a major north-western road; two further phases along south-western and southern routes are about to begin construction, and a fourth northern phase is in early design. Once all phases are finished, about a third of residents will live within a short walk of the network.

Paragraph 11 – A model for Africa: A transport policy expert argues that metros are usually delivered wholesale by international firms, whereas BRT lets local businesses and operators participate — building bus bodies locally and managing ticketing themselves. He describes BRT as transformational for the city and the most realistic hope of connectivity for millions across urban Africa.

Questions 14–18: TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN — Detailed Explanations

Question 14 — Answer: NOT GIVEN

Statement: The population of Dar es Salaam is rising more rapidly than was previously predicted.

Location: Paragraph 1

Explanation: The opening paragraph gives plenty of population data — growth since 1980, yearly increases, and UN projections for the future. However, the passage never compares the actual growth rate with earlier predictions. There is no information saying growth is faster (or slower) than anyone expected. Since we cannot confirm or contradict the statement, the answer is NOT GIVEN. This is a classic trap: lots of numbers appear, but the specific comparison in the statement is absent.

Question 15 — Answer: FALSE

Statement: Most of the residents of Dar es Salaam live in high-rise blocks on the edge of the city.

Location: Paragraph 2

Explanation: The passage states that four out of five residents live in single-storey informal settlements on the city's expanding outskirts. The location part of the statement (edge of the city) matches, but "high-rise blocks" directly contradicts "single-storey" homes. Because one key element contradicts the text, the answer is FALSE.

Question 16 — Answer: NOT GIVEN

Statement: Residents have been consulted about their views on the suburban rail line in Dar es Salaam.

Location: Paragraph 4 (the paragraph mentioning the rail line)

Explanation: The passage briefly mentions that one suburban rail line serves a small number of southern areas and is insignificant compared to the size of the city. Nothing is said about residents being asked for their opinions or any consultation process. No confirmation, no contradiction — so the answer is NOT GIVEN.

Question 17 — Answer: TRUE

Statement: The majority of the present residential development in Dar es Salaam is unplanned.

Location: Paragraph 5

Explanation: The passage explains that almost all of the city's expansion is happening on the periphery and occurs informally, without any agreed strategy. "Informally without any agreed strategy" is a direct paraphrase of "unplanned," and "nearly all the expansion" matches "the majority of the present residential development." The statement agrees with the passage, so the answer is TRUE.

Question 18 — Answer: FALSE

Statement: Dar es Salaam's authorities have decided to follow the public transport plan adopted by a large number of African cities.

Location: Paragraph 6

Explanation: The passage says the opposite: unlike many cities on the continent, Dar es Salaam is not trying to build a metro. Instead, it has chosen the bus — a cheaper and more achievable option. The city is deliberately taking a different path from other African cities, which contradicts the statement. Answer: FALSE.

Questions 19–26: Note Completion (ONE WORD ONLY) — Detailed Explanations

These notes summarise the DART Bus Rapid Transit system — its features, problems, and ticketing issues.

Question 19 — Answer: lanes

Clue in notes: the buses use designated ______ to cut down on delays

Explanation: The passage describes how DART buses run on dedicated bus lanes that are kept separate from ordinary traffic, mostly positioned in the centre of the road to minimise stoppages. "Designated" paraphrases "separated from other traffic," and "cut down on delays" paraphrases "reduce stoppages."

Question 20 — Answer: boarding

Clue in notes: passengers pay fares before ______

Explanation: According to the passage, tickets are bought and checked at the stations before boarding the bus. "Pay fares" is a paraphrase of "ticket purchase."

Question 21 — Answer: wheelchairs

Clue in notes: passengers in ______ can use every part of the system

Explanation: Because the buses are step-free, the full route is accessible to people using wheelchairs (and those with baby buggies). "Every part of the system" paraphrases "the entire route is accessible."

Question 22 — Answer: fuel

Clue in notes: the temperature control is sometimes not activated in order to reduce ______ use

Explanation: A passenger interviewed in the passage complains that drivers frequently refuse to switch on the air conditioning to save fuel. "Temperature control" is a paraphrase of "air conditioning," and "not activated" matches "refuse to turn on."

Question 23 — Answer: flood

Clue in notes: insufficient number of vehicles are available due to the effects of a severe ______

Explanation: The passage explains that a serious flood at the main depot during the rainy season caused a shortage of buses, so the system now carries only half its expected daily capacity. "Insufficient number of vehicles" paraphrases "shortage of buses," and "severe" matches "serious."

Question 24 — Answer: smartcards

Clue in notes: passengers are unable to use ______ because some equipment is out of action

Explanation: The passage states that smartcards cannot be used because the mechanical card readers are broken, forcing passengers to buy paper tickets for each trip. "Equipment is out of action" paraphrases "readers aren't working."

Question 25 — Answer: gates

Clue in notes: tickets have to be checked manually at station ______

Explanation: Although paper tickets carry a scannable QR code, there are no scanners available. Staff therefore stand at the gates and tear the tickets by hand as passengers enter. "Checked manually" paraphrases staff tearing tickets themselves.

Question 26 — Answer: queues

Clue in notes: ______ frequently build up during rush hours

Explanation: As a result of the manual ticket checking, long queues form at busy times. "Rush hours" is a direct paraphrase of "peak times," and "build up" matches "considerable."

Key Vocabulary from the Passage

Tips to Solve This Passage

1. For TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN (Q14–18): Focus on whether every element of the statement is confirmed. In Q15, the location matched but the building type didn't — that's how FALSE answers hide.
2. Watch for comparison traps: Q14 mentions predictions, but the passage never compares actual vs. predicted growth. If a comparison isn't made in the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
3. For note completion (Q19–26): The notes follow the order of the passage. Locate the paragraph about DART's features first, then its problems.
4. Stick to ONE WORD ONLY: Writing "bus lanes" instead of "lanes" for Q19 would be marked wrong.
5. Look for paraphrases, not matching words: "temperature control" → "air conditioning", "rush hours" → "peak times".

FAQs

Q1. Which Cambridge IELTS book contains "The Problems of Getting Around the City of Dar es Salaam"?

This passage appears as Passage 2 in an official Cambridge IELTS Academic practice test. Practise it under timed conditions (20 minutes) for the best results.

Q2. What question types appear in this passage?

Two types: TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN (Questions 14–18) and Note Completion with ONE WORD ONLY (Questions 19–26).

Q3. What is the answer to Question 14 in the Dar es Salaam reading passage?

The answer is NOT GIVEN, because the passage never compares the city's actual population growth with earlier predictions.

Q4. Is this passage difficult?

It is a medium-difficulty Passage 2. The two NOT GIVEN answers (Q14 and Q16) are the most commonly missed questions.

Q5. How much time should I spend on this passage?

Around 20 minutes, leaving equal time for Passages 1 and 3.

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