Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government through Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA) is determined to regulate construction of petrol stations to ensure safety rules are adhered to.
Water, Energy and Minerals Minister Suleiman Masoud Makame told the House of Representatives here on Friday that ZURA has always been providing expert directives on safe construction of the petrol stations.
He said for an ordinary fuel station, the developer needs an area of 900 square metres while for the station that also offers car wash services, 1,200 square metres are needed, including the buffer zone.
The minister assured the house that ZURA will sustain cooperation with all institutions responsible for health, safety and environment to ensure that petrol station construction has no health, safety and environmental effects on wananchi.
He was answering a question by Mpendae Representative Shaaban Ali Omar who wanted to know the government strategy to curb construction of petrol stations in residential areas.
The legislator decried an increasing number of refuel stations within human settlements, charging that the trend was subjecting people’s lives to serious dangers.
