EDITORIAL: Road crashes: An unfolding national crisis

BAK

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EDITORIAL: Road crashes: An unfolding national crisis

EDITORIAL
THIS DAY
DAR ES SALAAM​

THE toll of death and injury from road crashes in Tanzania is developing into a national public health and safety crisis.

On current trend, the continuing spiral of road traffic crashes will soon be a leading cause of death and disability, in addition to the damage of infrastructure and its concomitant dent on the Gross National Product (GNP).

What is more agonizing, however, is the callousness of motorists who are fuelling this crisis. A lot of public opinions have been voiced and concerns have been expressed about reckless driving on Tanzania’s roads, but all seem to fall on deaf ears of drivers.

Are motorists going crazy? If they are getting the wrong end of the stick, it is time the government applied an iron rod to rule their heads.

It is really weird to let driving freaks go on tossing up people’s lives like tomatoes, bashing vehicles like wicker baskets and keeping everybody’s heart in his or her mouth once they hit the road.

Besides the government efforts to improve the standard of roads and increase traffic police for public safety, greater emphasis should be put on public education about traffic safety, otherwise the growing car-culture will lead many prematurely to the grave.

What pride is there for an underdeveloped nation such as ours that moves on imported vehicles and bicycles to enter world records on road traffic mortality?

Do young drivers who feel great behind the wheel understand that accidents are undermining the strides this nation has made in development? Road crash statistics in newspapers could mean almost nothing to them, but don’t the scenes of wailers and mourners after road crashes remind them anything about high speed and roll-overs?

Hospital beds across the country are occupied by victims of road accidents. Health budgets are annually increased to save lives of these victims, many of them having sustained devastating head and spinal injuries which can lead to permanently blighted lives.

Road crashes make no choice of victim. In many instances accidents take away breadwinners in their productive years and leave behind a trail of far-reaching implications for families and orphans.

These tragedies are avoidable because they are a result of predictable and preventable negligent driving. No life should be lost as a price of improved roads and increased vehicles.

Reducing road crash deaths and injuries is by far more cost-effective than paying for rehabilitation of victims.

We could drive home the message of better road safety in Tanzania by having a yearly commemoration day for those who have perished in road accidents.
 
JK awageukia polisi kuhusu ajali
Mwandishi Maalumu, Zanzibar
Daily News; Saturday,January 24, 2009 @21:15​

Rais Jakaya Kikwete amewataka polisi nchini kuongeza ukali kama moja ya njia za kupambana na ajali za barabarani zinazopoteza maisha ya Watanzania.
Aidha, amesema fedha za uwezeshaji zinazotolewa na serikali yake, siyo za kujikimu ama kukopeshana viongozi na familia zao, bali ni kwa ajili ya wananchi hasa wenye kipato kidogo.

Pia amewataka viongozi kuwasimamia kwa karibu wataalamu ili kuhakikisha kuwa wanamaliza miradi ya maendeleo haraka na mapema ili kupunguza kelele na vilio vya wananchi kuhusu upatikanaji wa huduma za kiuchumi na kijamii.

Rais aliyasema hayo jana wakati aliporejea tena katika ziara yake ya Zanzibar baada ya kuwa amekatisha kwa siku moja juzi kwenda mkoani Mara kushiriki maziko ya Mwenyekiti wa zamani wa CCM wa Mkoa, Ezekiel Waryuba.

Akizungumza baada ya kufungua Kituo cha Polisi cha Bumbwini, Wilaya ya Kaskazini Unguja B katika Mkoa wa Kaskazini Unguja, Rais Kikwete akizungumzia ongezeko la ajali ambazo lilizungumzwa katika risala ya Polisi, alisema:

"Hapa tunalo tatizo kubwa la mafanikio. Tumejenga barabara nyingi na nzuri, lakini sasa uzuri wa barabara umeanza kutuzalia balaa la ajali. Lakini nataka kusisitiza kuwa polisi wetu wakiwa wakali hili la ajali litapungua sana."

Alisisitiza: "Haiwezekani polisi wetu wakamaliza tatizo la ajali kwa kugongeana mikono na madereva wavunja sheria. Polisi wanazungumza nini na madereva nyuma ya magari? Polisi anazungumza nini na dereva mhalifu?"
 
Sheria za usalama barabarani ni za kizamani mno katika kasi ya maendeleo ya magari,usafiri na usafirishaji wa barabara duniani.
Tatizo ni kuwa Serikali haina ubunifu katika kutatua suala hili na imejiingiza katika viscous circle ya sheria hizo za kizamani.
Mmiliki wa gari na dereva wake wanaua watu 30 katika ajali moja na kisheria mtu ana pigwa faini bila kuwepo hata kifungo.
Kwan namna hii ajali zitakuwa mchezo wa kila siku.
Kwa ujumla kumekuwepo na maendeleo yafuatayo;
1) Bara bara zimekuwa nzuri zaidi hivyo kuruhusu magari kwenda kwa mwendo kasi zaidi.(Rule of Thumb- better roads increase the severity of accidents, kama hakuna sheria madhubuti!)

2)Magari yameboreka sana sana kiteknolojia hivyo gari ya abiri au lori kwenda kwa mwendo wa 100km/hr hadi 150km/hr katika bara bara zetu limekuwa jambo la kawaida sasa.Mimi nimeshuhudia basi likinipita nilipokuwa naenda kwa mwendo wa 140km/hr katika gari ndogo!

Suala lililopo ni serikali na bunge kulivalia njuga suala hili la sheria barabarani na si kuwaachia Polisi.
Kusiwepo na faini za barabarani, hii ni rushwa tupu.
Dereva mkosaji afungiwe leseni au aende jela, au anyongwe kama muuaji wa halaiki akithibitika kufanya makosa ya dhahiri na makubwa.
La sivyo tutaishia kulalama na kuzikodolea macho sheria ambazo hazina meno.
 
BAK,It is indeed very disheartening to see that not many people can contribute to this very crucial topic that is robbing the lives of many innocent Tanzanians. Many only comment when the accidenta have happen , not many have ideas when it comes to preventive action and systems.Do we have to rely on foreighners to think for us?
Sad ,sad indeed
 

Mkuu ni kweli kwamba hii ni issue muhimu, hata hivyo kutochangia watu wengi kunatokana na sababu mbali mbali.

Mchango wangu:
Barabara za kwenda mikoani;
Kwanza ninaamini kuwa mfumo wa barabara zetu hauwezi kutuepusha na ajali. Kati ya ajili mbaya zinazotokea bongo hasa highways zinatokana na overtaking, kukwepa mbuzi, ng'ombe au mwendesha baiskeli na gari zinazogeuka au ingia barabara kuu.

Nchi zilizoendelea, barabara kuu (highway) zipo closed kunakuwa na exit baada ya umbali fulani. Yaani hakuna kitu kinachoingia si mbwa, mbuzi, au mtu. Sasa barabara zetu zetu bila kujali ipo class gani, unaweza kuingia popote na zina direct access toka kwenye makazi. Bararaba (highway) hiyo hiyo zinapita dala dala na kusimama popote.

pendekezo: Zijengwe barabara ndogo pembeni mwa barabara kuu na kuwa na exit/entrance chache. Daladala, baiskeli, mikokoteni nk watumie barabara ndogo (service roads).

Barabara ndani ya majiji na miji nitasema muda mwingine.
 
Ni kweli technologia inakua sana kwa maana hiyo sheria nyingi haziendi na wakati.
Pili, mtazamo wangu ni kuwa ajari nyingi hazisababishwi na vyombo vya usafiri bali madereva. Wakati technologia imekua, bado elimu ya madereva wengi ni ndogo au hakuna kabisa. Sijawahi kusikia popote madereva wa mabasi wanafanya defensive driving training ambayo makampuni mengi makubwa yanafanya kila baada ya muda fulani.Ndio maana hata kwenye blind spot kama kona unakuta bus ina overtake kwa speed. Au unakuta mtu anaovertake na wapembeni yake ndo kama amepewa midadi ya kuongeza speed as if jamaa akigonga yeye hata pata tatizo lolote.
tatu, polisi wanachangia sana.Kwa mfani barabara ya Chalinze Segera polisi wengi huwa wanajibanza sehemu zenye maelekezo ya kutembea km 50 au 30 kwa saa na visoma speed.wakikukamata ni kubargain jinsi gani utawatoa....hakuna uhakiki wa quality ya madereva wanang'ang'ana na mtu kuzidi speed 30 au 50 tu. Na ilivyo sasa wengi hawakamatwi kwasababu drivers share the information.

Said Mwema ana kazi kubwa hapa na jeshi la polisi kwa sababu kwangu haiingi akilini kwanini madereva wenye ubora feki na wengine wananunua tu leseni wanaendelea kupewa magari, hata ya abiria waendeshe.
Nionavyo mimi, madereva sasa wawe wale waliosomeshwa kikweli na wakafaulu (eg Veta au chuo cha usafirishaji) na polisi wawe makini kufuatilia.Ilivyo sasa hata kichaa anaweza kuwa dereva..ikitokea ajari tunashangaa nini?
 
Habari,
Samahani kwa kuiamsha hii topic tena kutoka huko mafichoni. Ila ni baada ya mimi pia kukumbwa na mkasa wa ajali kwa sababu za kizembe.

Katika kuangalia kwangu (juu juu) solution zilizotolewa, kuna moja ambayo ningependa kuongezea na niulize mtazamo wenu.

Nafikiri wengi wenu mnajua kua madereva wngi wa mabasi ni vijana tena haswa mara nyingi unakuta walikua madereva malori ya mizigo kwa mda kabla ya kufanya udereva wa mabasi. Kinachotakiwa si class C ya leseni tu. Madereva hawa wngi wao ni wanya pombe na wavuta bangi kwasbabu ndizo tabia walizozoea wakati wakuendesha trucks. Kuna mabasi unakuta dereva kaweka chupa ya maji kumbe ni konyagi.

Ningependekeza kuwa in addition ya hawa watu kupitia kozi maalumu ya usalama barabarani for at least six months, umri wa madereva ungezingatiwa. Yani atleast bus drivers wawe na umri wa miaka 45 na kuendelea. Watu wengi katika umri huu wameacha tabia za ujana na wana majukumu mazito ya familia hivyo huongeza umakini wao kazini.
 
Watanzania hawataki kupimwa macho na wanaendesha magari wakiwa wamechoka. Dereva wa kipanya anafanya kazi zaidi ya masaa 16.
 
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