The government has taken decisive action to address chronic traffic congestion at the Mikese weighbridge in Morogoro Region, with Works Minister Abdallah Ulega ordering the suspension of staff found negligent in managing the facility.
The move follows a breakdown of the weighbridge that caused long queues of vehicles, delaying travellers and disrupting trade along the busy Morogoro–Dodoma corridor.
Minister Ulega, who was inspecting emergency road repair projects under the Crisis Emergency Response Component (CERC), witnessed the congestion firsthand.
“This congestion at Mikese has become routine, and the public should not suffer because of negligence,” Ulega said. “Businesses are delayed, travellers waste hours on the road, and the economy suffers. We cannot accept this.”
Immediately after assessing the situation, the minister called the Ministry of Works Permanent Secretary, Eng. Aisha Amour, instructing her to suspend all staff at the weighbridge under his supervision while a thorough investigation identifies the cause and those responsible.
“Madam Permanent Secretary, suspend the staff involved until we know the cause of this failure and hold those responsible accountable,” he said.
Ulega also ordered a technical team to urgently repair the weighbridge to restore smooth traffic flow and minimise public inconvenience.
The Mikese weighbridge handles thousands of vehicles daily, including trucks transporting goods across regions and neighbouring countries.
Its repeated malfunctions have long frustrated road users and disrupted trade, highlighting the need for stronger oversight and maintenance of critical transport infrastructure.
Through swift intervention, the government seeks to ensure that public services at key transport hubs are efficient, protecting both travellers and the economy from avoidable delays.