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- Aug 2, 2010
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- Saturday, September 17, 2011, 11:33
- African News, Habari kuu.
BY ISAAC LONGWE AND HUMPHREY SHAO.
TANZANIAS economy loses approximately TSh five to six billion per day due to unproductive hours that are wasted on traffic congestions especially inDar es Salaam, The African on Saturday can reveal.
According to calculation made by the Director of Sumar Varma Associates (Architects and Planners) Mohamed Sumar during an interview with The African inDar es Salaam, traffic congestions that virtually everyday are a hindrance to most Tanzanians to meet their economic goals by 100.
It was estimatedTanzaniato have one million workers each of who waste 15 minutes in traffic jams per day.
Said Sumar: If you multiply one million people times 15 minutes wasted on road is equal to 15,000,000 minutes and if you convert this number by dividing it by 60 minutes that makes one hour the resulting figure gives you 250,000 hours wasted. And assume one million people buying six litres of fuel a day and waste 3 litres of that per day that comes to a loss of Shs 6096/- loss per day per person.
If you multiply one million workers by this number (6096) you get 6.096 billion shillings that is lost due to delays in traffic jams.
However it has also been recognized that traffic jams that cause road delays are due to the absence of any recognizable statutory controls.
PRESIDENT JAKAYA KIKWETE SWEARS IN MWANTUMU MAHIZA AS NEW REGIONAL COMMISSIONER FOR COAST REGION AT STATEHOUSE IN DAR ES SALAAM.LOOKING ON (CENTRE) IS THE CHIEF SECRETARY, PHILEMON LUHANJO.PHOTO BY DEUS MHAGALE
Due to the need of economic liberalization that came with the Government laxity in all social, culture, ethical and historical, values of buildings whre thrown over board by the developers.
Profit has become the only criterion of the development without considering the architectural rules and regulations stressed by city plans that evaluate the population growth. All that was mistakenly perceived by the government, said Sumar
Nevertheless Sumar said it is worth noting that not less than four master plans have been prepared for the city ofDar es Salaamand other cities in the country but these have never been seriously implemented and remain on the dusty shelves of Government offices.
MeanwhileDar es Salaamcity is expected to experience huge floods of waste water at any time following non implementation of the master plans.
This is imminent due to construction activities that are taking place in the city without considering the principles of low and high density areas, building lines, plot ratios and heights of the structures.
It is said that many buildings that are being built in the city are against the construction plan that was made in the early 20s. Some of the places were reserved to allow for the expansion of drainages that allow the flows of waste waters to flow freely were built over.
In addition the capacity of pipes that carry waste waters is too low because they were laid between 1930s and 40s.
Furthermore, due to disproportionate scale, concentration and chaos of buildings in the city centre that are too close are a reflection of economic explosion.
It is logical anticipate the rise in both demand and value of land in urban centers, however in a civilized society; this must not be used as justification for unplanned and haphazard development that is presently taking place in the city.
On this Sumar said the whole city ofDar es Salaamis growing at a phenomenal rate into a mega city of fixed development without recognizing the principle of low and high density areas.