The government has stepped up the implementation of a national road safety programme aimed at cutting road traffic deaths by half by 2030 through infrastructure upgrades, improved crash data management and public awareness campaigns.
Implemented by the Ministry of Works in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Road Safety Improvement Project seeks to make Tanzania's roads safer while reducing the human and economic costs associated with road crashes.
The programme includes the installation of road signs, traffic lights at critical junctions, safety barriers, pedestrian walkways and footbridges in areas with heavy human traffic to enhance the safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Speaking during a meeting of the project's Special Steering Committee in Dodoma on June 21, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Dr Charles Msonde, said the initiative is designed to strengthen road safety management by integrating modern technology into accident prevention and response systems.
A key component of the project is the development of a real-time road crash information system that will provide authorities with immediate access to data on crash locations, casualties and other critical details needed to improve emergency response and guide evidence-based policy decisions.
"By the completion of this project, we expect to have established a comprehensive road crash information system that will enable us to use reliable data in planning effective interventions to prevent road accidents," Dr Msonde said.
He noted that the project is being implemented through three strategic components, including the digitalisation of crash data collection to improve coordination among institutions responsible for road safety.
Beyond infrastructure improvements, the programme also focuses on building a long-term culture of road safety through public education.
It includes community awareness campaigns and the development of road safety curricula to be introduced in primary and secondary schools as well as higher learning institutions.
Director of Safety and Environment at the Ministry of Works, Eng Musa Kashinde, said the programme supports the government's commitment to achieving the global target of reducing road traffic fatalities by 50 percent by 2030.
He said the implementation team had received technical guidance from project experts and was working to ensure all planned activities are completed within schedule.
The project, which commenced in 2025 and is expected to run until 2028, is anticipated to strengthen Tanzania's road safety framework by combining safer road infrastructure, improved institutional capacity, better use of technology and sustained public education to reduce road crashes and save lives.
