TAILOR made driving and vehicle maintenance courses for law enforcers have been instructed on 179 police officers here by the Arusha Technical College (ATC).

ACP Salvas Makweli, the regional chief of police operations, warned police officers not to use their uniforms as immunity to violate traffic regulations, It has come to our notice that some police officers usually break traffic regulations while driving on public roads simply because they are in their uniform,”

“It has come to our notice that some police officers often break traffic regulations while driving on public roads simply because they are in their uniforms,” he said at an award ceremony to present certificates of completion, over the weekend.

 David Mtunguja, ATC head of the vehicle engineering and drivers’ training department, said that the special courses for police officers were conducted for one month, from June 3 to July 4, affirming that the college also offers computerized vehicle diagnosis and updated facilities for repairing workshop at its city-center premises.

SSP Zauda Mohammed, the regional traffic police commander, said the training sessions were held at the college premises and at the police base, while anticipating to hold similar sessions in future.

ACP Makweli appreciated the tailor made courses, showing gratitude for the driving courses for officers as the police command was experiencing acute shortages of drivers, intimating that the force was “in dire need of 100 such personnel.” 

Prof Mussa Chacha, the college rector, stated that more than 76 percent of recent road accidents resulted from drivers who lack even basic precepts of traffic regulations.

Many local drivers also have little, if any knowledge of the vehicles they are driving and how to handle them, in which case the college had provided driving courses to senior police traffic officials in the region. The courses will now be delivered on rank and file police officers, he added.