Police strengthen measures to control traffic rules violation

TANZANIA: THE Commander of the Traffic Police Force, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Ramadhani Ng’anzi, has said that the police force is actively taking strong measures including arresting those who violate road safety laws in the country.

SACP Ng’azi said this during a phone interview with the ‘Daily News’ recently, where he emphasised the need for ongoing education to address violations of road safety laws and protecting civilians, especially school children from risks.

“This is a complex issue that cannot be resolved overnight. Education should continue, not only for road users but also for motorcycle riders. As the police force, we are committed to ensuring the safety of citizens and ensuring that everyone follows the law to protect one another,” said SACP Ng’azi.

The Coast Regional Police Commander (RPC) ACP Pius Lutumo, highlighted that the majority of road safety law violators are those who engage in illegal and unregistered bodaboda operations. He said that efforts have been made to educate bodaboda operators and many have been adhering to the laws.

“Carrying children on motorcycles is very dangerous. Children cannot withstand the wind, and it is also risky as they cannot hold on properly. The law requires that a child under the age of nine be accompanied by a parent/guardian when riding a motorcycle, and the proper use of a helmet is also mandatory,” said ACP Lutumo.

ACP Lutumo further, urged members of society to continue speaking out against these violations, as bodaboda operators are part of the community and interact with people in neighbourhoods.

“It is the responsibility of everyone to expose and condemn their actions in order to address the challenge,” he said.

Addressing the issue, the Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, ACP Simon Maigwa, also stated that despite efforts to control road safety law violations in the region, some cases still persist.

“We strongly advise against children riding motorcycles and encourage the use of cars instead. We continue to collaborate with stakeholders such as LATRA to provide education through meetings and the media,” said ACP Maigwa.

According to ACP Maigwa, it appears that bodaboda riders fear the police more than they fear road safety laws and regulations. He emphasised the need for continued education, particularly for children, to ensure safe riding practices and awareness of their rights.

“It is time for the authorities responsible for authorising these motorcycles to establish regulations. Violations of these regulations should result in the revocation of their registration,” said ACP Maigwa.

One of the motorcyclists in Dar es Salaam, Mr James Sebastian, acknowledged the danger of carrying school children. “Sometimes, riders carry more than two children on a single motorcycle, assuming that schools are nearby. Parents also allow this due to income constraints and the distance to schools, wanting their children to arrive on time,” he said.

Mr Sebastian also expressed the challenge of controlling bodaboda riders, as they can quickly escape when stopped by police officers. According to the 2023 annual statistics from the Tanzanian Road Safety Unit, there were 1,641 recorded accidents resulting in the deaths of 1,550 people between January and December of the previous year.

Of the fatalities, 1,189 were men and 391 were women. Additionally, 2,562 individuals were injured, including 1,721 men and 841 women.

The 2023 latest report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), highlighted that, road traffic crashes is still the leading cause of death for children and youths aged 5-29 years, with more than 2 deaths occurring per minute and over 3,200 per day.

However, WHO reported that, the annual number of road traffic deaths slightly decreased to 1.19 million per year.

The report states that over half of the fatalities occur among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Tanzania. Urgent action is required to achieve the global goal of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least half by 2030.

WHO reports that approximately 90 per cent of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where the fatality risk is disproportionately higher compared to the number of vehicles and road infrastructure.