Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Tanzanian government has unveiled urgent plans to reduce heavy trucks congestion at Tunduma, a major transit point for trucks heading to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During a visit to Tunduma in Songwe Region, the Construction Minister, Abdallah Ulega, directed the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) to conduct an immediate assessment of the border road with a view to expanding it.
The move comes after long-standing complaints from transporters and local residents about traffic bottlenecks that disrupt travel and trade.
“I have instructed Tanroads to secure emergency funding and carry out an assessment so that this road can be expanded immediately. Our goal is to construct three lanes to ease truck congestion in this area,” Minister Ulega said.
Addressing challenges posed by the Mpemba weighbridge, where trucks often have to turn around for weight checks, the Minister said a new weighbridge will be constructed at Iboya.
This facility will serve all trucks traveling from Tunduma to Mbeya, reducing delays and ensuring smoother traffic flow.
“With the Iboya weighbridge in place, trucks will no longer need to turn around. The Mpemba weighbridge will only handle vehicles coming from Mbeya to Tunduma,” he added.
Minister Ulega also called on Tanroads regional managers in Mbeya and Songwe to improve feeder roads in the area, which will further help to reduce vehicle queues and ease movement for road users.
Songwe Regional Commissioner, Jabir Makame, expressed gratitude to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for continued support in funding road projects and urged the Ministry of Construction to implement these plans promptly to relieve congestion.
Truck drivers in the area had previously pointed out that the Mpemba weighbridge struggles to cope with the heavy volume of vehicles, causing long delays.
They appealed for additional weighbridges to streamline the process, a concern the Minister has now addressed through the Iboya project.
With these measures, the government aims to restore smooth traffic flow at one of the country’s busiest border points, boosting trade efficiency and reducing frustrations for both transporters and local communities.
