I recently drove to Arusha and back to Dar es Salaam, and was stunned at the amount of garbage dumped on the roads by people travelling in long-distance buses.

I trailed an Arusha-bound bus from Mombo all the way to Same Town, and empty water bottles, soda cans, plastic bags, orange peels, maize cobs, food leftovers and all manner of garbage were flying from the windows during the entire 115-kilometre trip.

Being a person who cannot bring myself to throw a tiny piece of paper on a street, even if it is overflowing with garbage, I was enraged, and decided to give the bus crew a piece of my mind on reaching the Same bus terminal.
Unfortunately, this is the norm rather than the exception on our highways.  During my trip back to Dar es Salaam, I trailed and overtook at least a dozen buses, and garbage was flying out of each vehicle.

Our highways have become a veritable garbage dump.  In fact, people throw garbage everywhere except in their houses.

I remember that a few years ago the government directed long-distance bus operators to place in their vehicles disposable waste bags and ensure that passengers use them.  

It is clear that this directive has largely been ignored if what I gathered during my round trip to Arusha is any guide.

J.R. Semizigi,
Dar es Salaam.

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