THE government has directed the Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS), Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and Reli Assets Holding Company Limited (RAHCO) to demolish structures erected on roads and railway line reserves to protect the infrastructures from damages
Speaking after a tour of Tazara Railway
Bridge at Mbalizi, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications,
Professor Makame Mbarawa, said it was high time authorities pulled down
all houses built on land reserved for roads and railway lines.
“The law is crystal clear and you should
enforce it before waiting for me (minister) to make instructions.
Anyone who has put up a structure on the reserves should be removed.
This way we will be able to protect the infrastructure,” Prof Mbarawa
remarked.
The minister noted as well that the
government was working to improve the central and Tazara railway lines
in a bid to ensure that all cargo passing through the Dar es Salaam port
are transported by trains as opposed to roads.
“At present, just four per cent of cargo
at the port is transported through railway. It is high time we started
utilising trains to protect the roads from damages caused by heavy
loads,” Minister Mbarawa explained.
Prof Mbarawa went on to urge the Tazara
management to provide public awareness on the hazards of mining of sand
and stone aggregates on railway line reserves, particularly beneath
railway bridges to avoid destructing the infrastructure and posing risks
to safety of the transport mode.
For his part, the TAZARA Regional
Manager for Tanzania, Mr Fuad Abdallah, pledged before the minister that
houses built on the reserves will be pulled down in accordance with the
law. The official explained further that the legislation requires
residents to put up structures at 30 metres and 15 metres in rural and
urban areas, respectively.
“Nevertheless, we will continue
educating the public on importance of preserving the infrastructure by
avoiding to build houses on the reserves or conducting activities that
may damage the rail network,” he explained.
During his Mbeya Region tour, Prof
Mbarawa also inspected a workshop operated by Tazara, which provides
repairs and maintenance to 39 locomotives of Diesel Electric (DE) make.
The minister observed first hand lack of equipment and spare parts while
some of the available machineries were outdated.
http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/52377-structures-built-along-railway-road-reserve-on-demolition-course
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