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A question for Suleiman Kova
2008-09-04 10:49:05
By Edit
The other day we published a front page photo showing a low loader ferrying worn out tractors that were tied around the truck body by simple ropes, which could easily give in once the vehicle was forced to brake suddenly or swayed for one reason or another.
It is quite clear that the loose cargo was a threat to both motorists and pedestrians all the way to the end of the low loader\'s journey, and it was possible that the truck was travelling hundreds of kilometres to the interior.
What disturbs the minds of safety-minded Tanzanians is why heavy duty vehicle operators are allowed to flout road safety rules to unbelievable levels.
In Dar es Salaam, when one bothers to observe streams of container-bearing trucks plying the Nelson Mandela Highway, he would hardly believe that traffic police can go as far as allowing huge containers placed on open trucks without being fixed properly by standard bolts.
We say this in spite of the fact that in Dar es Salaam Region, since Commander Kova took over, we have seen a significant improvement in road traffic management and fight against crime.
However, whatever improvements have been made, they have not touched the loose container carriers, who deliberately carry the messengers of death, probably because they are seen by leaders of the Police Force as sacred cows.
We are stating this because people have perished and been maimed after being crushed by loose containers which fell on small trucks along the city`s highways.
One particular incident is the one which occurred several years ago in Dar es Salaam, when a man was pressed half-body for hours by a loose container which had slid onto a dalalala which he was travelling in.
Under the glare of photojournalists` cameras, it took frantic rescuers several hours to free the hapless man, who was permanently crippled by the accident, which by all accounts could have been avoided had the carrier abided to road safety rules, which stipulate tying the containers with the right bolts.
Sad to say, these sad occurrences have not led to any serious efforts on the part of relevant authorities who have power to end this kind of lawless behaviour.
The only thing we have witnessed is the issuing of several threats and ultimatums to errant heavy duty carriers. Nevertheless, all these calls have been ignored with impunity such that it is thought that the police either hold the errant truck operators in awe for some unknown reasons, or they are conniving with them to flout the rules for personal gain.
One would wonder if there is any other country which allows the ferrying of heavy cargo in such a manner.
Whatever the justifications, this is a shameful as well as extremely dangerous practice which all regional police commanders should see to it that it is ended.
As for the Dar Special Zone Commander, we applaud his efforts. However, we wish to tell him quite bluntly that we shall be surprised if he will not employ his coercive powers to make the killer heavy duty truck drivers succumb to authority.
Is it that difficult for a policeman to flag down a lorry driver, order him to park, and disallow him to drive until the container he is carrying has been locked according to required specifications.
Are we supposed to please such irresponsible transporters or to protect people`s lives? Commander Kova, please give us the answer.
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