Tanzania Govt embarks on review of road safety regulations

Zanzibar. The government has started reviewing road safety regulations with a view to meeting new developments in the country’s transport systems.

The deputy minister for Home Affairs, Mr Hamad Masauni, said at the weekend that the review aimed at making the regulations stricter and capable of meeting the requirements of various road transport modes, including motorbike taxis, popularly known as Bodaboda.

“The aim is to ensure that the regulations are stricter so that they can effectively deal with road users, including Bodabodas, who are notorious for causing road accidents that could be avoided easily,” he said.

Mr Masauni made the remark during a ceremony to award various prizes to winners of 2019 Road Safety Drawing Competition for primary schools in the Zanzibar.

Puma Energy Tanzania sponsored the event where the first winner, Mkunazini Primary School, went home with Sh4 million.

Puma Energy Tanzania, in partnership with an organisation that is known as Amend with the Zanzibar’s Vision Consortium Trainers, was undertaking a special training programme that aims at reducing road accidents.

So far, a total of five primary schools in Zanzibar have taken part in the programme.

“We have decided to ensure that whoever breaks road traffic laws must be arrested and arraigned. Some people are deliberately breaking the laws because the punishment associated with road traffic offences are not stringent, but now, we will deal with them accordingly,” he said.

The Puma Energy Tanzania managing director, Mr Dominic Dhanan, named the schools as Mwembeshauri, Kisiwandui, Jang’ombe, Nyerere and Mkunazini.

“During the period, we have trained a total of 6,500 pupils. This programme is a continuation of the one that was launched in 2013 during which, a total of 106,500 pupils, across 80 schools in Dar es Salaam, Geita, Ruvuma, Dodoma and Zanzibar have benefitted,” he said.