Tanzania drivers will now carry their licences alongside driving school certificates, why not everyone is happy about it
Drivers will carry their licences alongside driving school certificates all the time from next week
What you need to know:
Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Mr Musilimu said drivers, who would be found without the said certificates from driving schools, would have their licences confiscated.
Dar es Salaam. The directive by the traffic police commander, Mr Fortunatus Musilim, that drivers should carry their licences alongside driving school certificates all the time from next week, as the Force embarks on in-depth inspections has drawn strong criticism from the public.
Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Mr Musilimu said drivers, who would be found without the said certificates from driving schools, would have their licences confiscated.
He also said that owners of public vehicles, who hire drivers who don’t hold certificates from driving schools, would also be met with the police wrath.
The move, according to the Traffic Police boss, intends to curb road accidents that claim thousands of lives as well as causing loss of property annually.
However, many stakeholders took to social media and other platforms to express their displeasure over the announcment.
A number of members of the Road Safety Ambassadors platform (RSA) expressed their pessimism on whether the move would really provide solutions to road accidents occuring in Tanzania.
“Impactful solutions to road accidents are those that need collective responsibility,” wrote Mr Emmanuel Kihaule, an RSA member.
He argued that there were a number of commuter bus drivers holding certificates from driving schools and yet they have been involved in road accidents.
Another member, who identified himself as Baba Indundumile, said road engineers and contractors had a huge role to play when it comes to curbing road accidents.
“There are many blind spots along our roads and highways, the authorities need to look at such factors as well,” posted Mr Indundumile on his facebook page.
For his part, Mr Nyoni Mkata suggested that the directive would only fuel the giving and taking of bribes, especially when a driver was confronted by an unscrupulous officer.
“I’m afraid that the directive might lead to mushrooming of driving schools because there will be a rush for obtaining driving certificates,” said Mr Hashim Hassan a driver based in Dar es Salaam.
He added, “I don’t think the police conducted any research on the cause of road accidents before issuing such a directive.”
