Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE former President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete brightens the climax of the 2020 safe drive campaign by handing over quality helmets to 850 motorcyclists.
Held on Saturday at Mnazi Mmoja ground in Dar es Salaam, the former President said he was impressed by the huge funding of the world motorsports governing body (FIA) that enabled the Automobile Association of Tanzania(AAT) to implement a successful programme in collaboration with the officials of the traffic police department.
It was under JK rule when Tanzania joined FIA as its affiliate member in 2005 and since then FIA and AAT jointly executed several road safety projects, which, according to the AAT president, Nizar Jivan thousands of lives have been saved.
Explaining to the former President, the CEO of AAT, Yusuf Ghor said FIA was impressed with the road safety projects Tanzania was implementing and is one of the only countries in the world with an impressive record. Among them the notable projects including the Save Lives seminar conducted to 1000 drivers and over 5,000 motorcyclists.
Both being among the non-motorsports projects jointly implemented by FIA and AAT. Prior to the yesterday’s helmet hand- over ceremony, the Head of Legal Department at Traffic Police Headquarters, Superintendent of Police (SP), Deus Sokoni who was among the trainers, said the education offered to drivers helped much in saving lives and the last year’s records show that eight accidents occurred everyday in the country from the six months of last year which he said was lower than the average of 11 accidents occurred during the same period in 2018.
The number of deaths stood at 744 during the first half of last year, which is a 25 per cent decrease. In the same period of the previous year, 994 deaths were recorded. In general, according to ASP Sokoni, the number of road accidents in the country dropped by 27 per cent, to 1,517, between January and June 2019 compared to 2,094 accidents during the same period last year.
“Since most of accidents were caused by reckless driving, this time the seminar brought together lorry drivers from major transport and transportation companies,” said Yusuf Ghor, the Chief Executive of AAT.
Worldwide, an estimated 3,500 people are killed daily on the roads worldwide. Since 2012, the Programme has awarded over 320 innovative initiatives in Tanzania and more than 75 from other countries.
