Kona ya Maloto: Barabara za Dar ni hatari zaidi kwa vyombo vya moto

Dar es Salaam. lango kuu la kiuchumi Tanzania, barabara zake ni hatari kwa magari. Barabara kuu zote zipo kwenye ujenzi, zile za mitaani na zenye kuunganisha vitongoji, zimesheheni mashimo.

Hatari zaidi, upo mfumo wa kuziba mashimo kwa kuweka viraka. Mafundi wanachonga lile shimo, wanalitanua na kulipa umbo la pembe nne. Baada ya utanuzi huo, wanaliacha hadi miezi miwili. Hatari kwa madereva, hasa wageni wa barabara husika.
Wazoefu huendesha kwa uzoefu. Anafika mahali anapunguza mwendo kwa sababu ameshajua shimo lililochongwa lipo karibu. Hakuna taa wala alama za tahadhari kuwa mbele kuna shimo.

Miezi michache iliyopita nchi ilipita kwenye mafuriko. Dar es Salaam iliathirika. Miundombinu ikatoneshwa, sasa ni mibovu ajabu. Zile hadithi kuwa watu wanaoishi mabondeni ndiyo hawapo salama, tafsiri inahama.

Dar es Salaam kila sehemu ni bondeni. Hata maeneo yaliyopo uwanda wa juu yalikumbwa na mafuriko na sasa barabara ni taabani. Unapoendesha gari Dar es Salaam, nenda taratibu. Utaua chombo, unaweza kupoteza maisha pia.

Anzia Mikocheni hadi Tegeta, Mbezi Beach mpaka Ununio, usiku unaweza kukuta magari mitaroni. Ukimuuliza dereva, anasema alikuwa anakwepa shimo. Mwenyewe aliendesha mwendo wa kasi akidhani barabara ni salama. Dar siyo salama.

Ujenzi holela, fedha zinazidi nguvu sayansi. Utatuzi wa matatizo kwa kutumia mawazo kidogo yenye mtazamo wa muda mfupi, badala ya kufikiria miaka mingi ijayo. Hapa ndipo nchi inaumizwa na inauawa taratibu. Bila hatua za haraka tutarithisha watoto na wajukuu nchi mfu.

Mvua kidogo, barabara zinatengeneza matundu kila mahali. Dar es Salaam haina barabara ambayo unaweza kuendesha japo kilomita 120 kwa saa, hata kama barabarani upo peke yako na hakuna alama za udhibiti mwendo. Sababu barabara ni mbovu, haziaminiki. Ni mitego tupu kwa madereva.

Barabara zinazojengwa, zinabanwa na kuwekewa matofali yenye kuakisi taa. Yale matofali barabarani ni salama kama dereva unaendesha kipindi ambacho hakuna gari lingine linatokea unapoelekea. Hatari zaidi, dereva wa gari linalokuelekea awashe taa kali. Hutaona tofali. Madereva wengi huyagonga matofali na kuharibu magari.

Askari wa usalama barabarani na magari ya breakdown, kwao ni mtaji gari likigonga tofali barabarani. Mimi ni shuhuda wa tukio la gari aina ya Toyota IST, liligonga tofali eneo la Makumbusho, Kijitonyama, mbele ya Millenium Tower. Kulitoa gari pale kulipeleka Kituo cha Polisi Kijitonyama, kadirio la kilomita moja na nusu, breakdown walilipwa Sh250,000 na trafiki akataka apewe Sh150,000, eti ili amalize kesi.

Trafiki akasema, asingelipwa hiyo pesa, angeandika ripoti kwenda Tanroads kuwa gari lile, IST, liliharibu tofali la ukingo wa barabara. Ukiangalia, tofali ni zima, IST uso wa mbele umeharibika, hadi mifuko ya usalama (airbags), ilitoka.

Ni Tanzania na Watanzania. Trafiki (askari wa usalama barabarani), anafika kwenye ajali, hataki kujua watu ndani ya gari wapo salama kiasi gani, anaomba Sh150,000, eti ndiyo amsaidie mwenye gari kuepuka kesi. Unajiuliza, hata ukienda mahakamani, kesi ya uzito gani?

Kuhusu ubovu wa barabara Dar es Salaam, mashimo na uwekaji viraka unaochukua muda mrefu, inadhihirisha namna ambavyo ujenzi unafanyika chini kabisa ya viwango mbele ya viongozi wanaoomba bajeti, wanaopewa na kuzisimamia. Wataalamu pia wapo.

Janga la taifa ni rushwa na ufisadi. Viongozi na wataalamu wanaotegemewa kuisaidia nchi, wanafuja fedha za miradi, matokeo yake miundombinu inajengwa nchini ya kiwango. Makandarasi wanahonga kushinda zabuni. Vigezo vya kisayansi havina tija mbele ya mlungula.

Kifo cha nchi ni kuwa na viongozi wenye kuwaza leo badala ya kesho. Matatizo mengi Dar es Salaam ni ujenzi unaoingilia njia za maji. Mwenye fedha anahamisha uelekeo wa maji, matokeo yake madhara makubwa hutokea pale mvua zinaponyesha mfululizo. Maji yanapanda hadi kwenye miinuko.

Kama mapinduzi ya fikra hayatakaribishwa Tanzania, ikapatikana tiba ya jinsi ya kutatua matatizo ya watu kwa usahihi, rushwa ikachukiwa kutoka ndani ya fikra na moyoni, suluhu zikatazamwa za kudumu na kujenga dhamira ya kuiacha nchi salama kwa vizazi vijavyo, historia itatoa hukumu mbaya kwa hiki kizazi chetu kinachoishi sasa.

Ukipita Unguja, kasi ya ujenzi wa barabara ni kubwa. Barabara bora na imara kabisa. Unaweza kupata jawabu kwamba miaka mitatu ijayo, Unguja (Zanzibar), itakuwa jiji lenye barabara nzuri na za uhakika, wakati Dar es Salaam ikibaki hohehahe na barabara zake zinazoua magari.

Source: mwananchi.co.tz

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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns

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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns

Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way

The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.

The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.

The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.

“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”

Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.

It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.

But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.

Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.

The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.

A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.

Two more to the list

The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.

The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.

Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.

Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).

Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”

In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).

“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”

Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.

Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.

“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”

Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.

For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.

The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.

Source: allafrica.com

December 16, 2024