Buses to be allowed night operations

Tanzanian leaders in government, business and various organisations have been cautioned that youth all over the world are increasingly resisting the old leadership methodology where they are simply told what to do and not engaged in decision making.


The leaders are as such challenged to engage youth by trusting, empowering, involving and allowing them to have a say on how a company, agency or organisation is run rather than being told what to do.

The challenge was issued by world renowned leadership expert, John Knights who is an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Chester in the field of Work Based Learning and also lectures at the University of Oxford on leadership development, told journalists yesterday in Bagamoyo that this is a crucial time for Tanzania as a country heads towards its general elections next year.

He was speaking at the Annual Chairperson Retreat seminar in Bagamoyo, Coast Region on the opening of the two day seminar organised by the Institute of Directors Tanzania (IODT).

 He said traditionally, the leadership entailed knowing everything and telling people what to do, but this does not work in the new by a countrywide inspection of driving schools as well.

Preliminary investigations conducted by a sub-committee formed by Transport minister, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, revealed that among other things, the lack of contracts for motorists actively contributes to occurrence and increase of road accidents.

Speaking to the reporters, Mwakyembe who was accompanied by the Employment and Labour minister Gaudentia Kabaka and Home Affairs deputy minister Pereira Silima explained that the exercise will be carried out by the Labour and Employment ministry and will also give the government a chance to examine payment of bus and truck drivers’ contributions to social security schemes.

“It's obvious that reckless driving is fueled by poor work environments and salaries are key in this aspect…so we will examine their contracts and determine their payment schemes and contributions to the social security,” he said.

“There is an also poor regulation in the issuance of driving license…this will also be addressed,” he added.

The minister also announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs will also evaluate and inspect all driving schools across the country.

On the subcommittee report, the minister said the report was submitted on October 3; “I tasked government agencies such as Sumatra and other key transport stakeholders to go through the report before we make it public,” the minister said.

Nonetheless he cited that the findings show 50.3 per cent of road accidents are a result of over speeding and reckless driving.

“Passengers also are to be blamed for being part of avoidable accidents which continues to mar road safety in the country,” he said noting that the report also indicates that poor inspection of upcountry buses is also associated with increased road accidents.