Monday 25 December 2017

Vet or register afresh all driving schools to eliminate ‘rogue riders’

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By Correspondent REHEMA KULWA

AS you read this article, kindly put politics aside and ask yourself who is pleasing or serving whose interests when rogue motorbike riders are awash everywhere and cause the deaths of innocent Tanzanians in the name of them “being at work” and business as usual?

In a nutshell there is madness in bodaboda industry that must be brought to a halt willynilly because we have laws and regulations which must be respected by all citizens regardless of who in the society and particularly in the roads.
Many articles have been written and people have spoken their minds that bodaboda industry, despite providing employment to the youth, is infiltrated by individuals who do not deserve to be there, but instead jails, because first they are not licensed riders by any authority, and therefore, pay no respect to human lives and instead hide there to dent the industry.
The story may be long, but drive along the roads in any urban area in the country and don’t be surprised by the bodaboda riders riding recklessly, endangering lives and overtaking left and right, and to make it worse hurl all sorts of nasty and lewd insults to you if you happen to be a female driver, cautioning them to abide by traffic rules.
These guys, to some extent, call fellow men ‘shangazi’ (aunties) who happen to remind them that they are endangering their lives and their passengers whenever they speed and crisscross the roads haphazardly without hooting or within a twinkle of an eye.

Tuesday 19 December 2017

Remote places to benefit from ambitious drug supply scheme

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By PIUS RUGONZIBWA in Mwanza

THE supply chain of drugs has recorded an historic landmark in the country as Mwanza Region will from next month use drones to supply drugs in not-easily-accessible areas, particularly in Ukerewe Island.


A team of officials from the World Bank and Mwanza regional authorities recently witnessed the first launch of the initiative dubbed Lake Victoria Drone Expo & Challenge (LVC) which will make it easier and more convenient for the Medical Stores Department (MSD) to supply drug kits to the island.
The MSD Director General, Mr Laurian Rugambwa Bwanakunu, said the supply of drugs and medical equipment was very expensive but using drones would not only make it less expensive but will facilitate timely delivery of drugs in hard-toreach areas, starting with Ukerewe.

He said the drones would be more helpful in delivering drugs mostly required in emergency cases, including vaccinations, poisons resulting from bites and blood. “Lately, the supply of drugs cost more than 3bn/- per year; therefore the pilot implementation of LVC in Mwanza Region would produce new statistics of the costs involved in the supply chain for the near future,” he said.

 Read more.