Stakeholders call for national dialogue on road safety

Dar es Salaam. Road safety stakeholders have called for a national dialogue on how to reduce traffic accidents, citing the increasing number of deaths and injuries, particularly among children.

The call was made yesterday by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) responsible for Infrastructure), Mr Rogatus Mativila, during the launch of a road safety infrastructure project at Sinza Special Primary School.

“Road accidents continue to cause grief, especially when children are affected near schools. This is no longer acceptable. As a nation, we must start a serious conversation on how to end this crisis,” he said.

Mr Mativila said the government, through local authorities, will continue working with partners to ensure school zones are safer by installing pedestrian crossings, speed bumps, and warning signs.

Amend Tanzania representative, Mr Simon Kalolo, said the project marks the first time the organisation is working in a school exclusively for children with special needs.

“In over 13 years in road safety, we have never implemented a project solely in a special needs school. These improvements will not only reduce accidents but also encourage more parents to enrol their children,” he said.

Mr Kalolo noted that road accidents claim about 1.3 million lives globally each year, with more than 50 million people injured. They remain the leading cause of death among children and youth aged 5 to 29.

He added that despite low vehicle ownership, Tanzania and other African countries still have high road fatality rates—underscoring the urgency for coordinated action.