YES, BUILD PEDESTRIAN, CYCLING LANES IN CITIES
What you need to know:
- There is ample evidence in urban centres showing that more often than not pedestrian and cycling lanes are overlooked in road construction.
The plan by the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart) to build inclusive and environment-friendly roads where pedestrians and cyclists will have their own lanes is welcome.
There is ample evidence in urban centres showing that more often than not pedestrian and cycling lanes are overlooked in road construction. This exposes pedestrians and cyclists to danger because they have to share roads with motorised traffic.
Experts argue that walking is a key element of a balanced transportation system that needs to be taken into account in the construction of roads in urban areas.
They define a pedestrian zone as an area where vehicles are restricted and reserved for pedestrians who are free to occupy the entire space.
It is on this basis that any plan to promote non-motorised systems that are inclusive and environment-friendly is commendable.
The benefits of investing in pedestrian and cycling lanes cannot be overemphasised.
Apart from helping people to lead healthy lifestyles, the lanes play a key role in reducing the number of vehicles on usually congested urban roads, thus cutting emissions of harmful gases, whose impact on the environment is well documented.
They can also promote urban tourism through improved safety and security of pedestrians and cyclists.
Now that a pledge has been made, it is crucial that the government and development partners walk the talk so that this goal can be realised as soon as possible.
It is time urban and rural areas alike became more sustainable and accommodating in terms of having user-friendly infrastructure which can go a long way in improving living standards and presenting new opportunities to communities.
We commend Dart for the move, and urge it to implement the project urgently so it serves as a model that will be replicated elsewhere.
PRIORITISE THE ENVIRONMENT
While awareness of environmental issues in not lacking in Tanzania, the same cannot be said of political attention, will and action.
Very few politicians have the environment and its importance to human life on their agendas. This is despite the fact that Tanzania has already begun to feel the effects of environmental degradation in the form of erratic weather patterns brought about by climate change.
While some factors may be beyond our control, and can be conveniently blamed on industrialised nations, there are many others for which we are entirely to blame.
Very few people will dispute the fact that Tanzania’s forest cover is disappearing at an alarming rate. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations puts the annual deforestation rate at whopping 4,200 square kilometres. This is an alarming figure whichever way one looks at it because it means that Tanzania could turn into a parched desert nation in as little as 100 years.
Unless the environment is moved higher up politicians’ priority lists sooner rather than later, there is little hope, if any, that we will be able to effectively deal with threats posed by environmental degradation.
