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Write to: The Editor, Arusha Times, P.O. Box 212, Arusha. E-mail: arushatimes@habari.co.tz
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29-year-old Phillip Ochieng Owino, a loader with Mitsubishi Fuso truck that was involved in a head-on collision with a shuttle bus along Arusha-Namanga road leaving11 people dead. Owino is recuperating at the Mount Meru Regional Hospital. |
Jemal Bin Morris
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The hour of darkness came in broad daylight for the unfortunate passengers involved recently in a tragic road accident on Arusha Namanga road. The cause of this horrific accident according to witnesses could have been due to mechanical failure or technical reasons beyond the expectation of the driver who lost total control of the truck and collided head on with the on coming passenger bus full of tourists.
This unspeakable grief came in broad daylight and according to witnesses the first ones to arrive at this tragic scene, unbelievably, were human scavengers who had come not to "lend a hand" but to steel and empty the pockets of the dead and survivors who were begging for help. The most tragic aspect of this unfortunate accident was that hands which were given to help, and to serve mankind during that hour of need were busy searching through personal belongings of the victims soaked in blood.
This " bloody harvest" reflects the moral decay of humanity and. The survivors who fell prey to these human scavengers will live to tell the realities of this moral misconduct and despise the human society as long as they live. Imagine what would have been the fate of these passengers if this accident had taken place at
night? Wickedness and malice only require an opportunity, and if this matter is not addressed and controlled in due time it will give the criminals an opportunity to nurture this profitable crime without any sense of guilt, leading to deliberate causes of road accidents in future.
Every reasonable person wants effective road safety measures but for them to be effective they need the support and acceptance of the public. It was mandatory for all buses to have speed governors installed. In reality it is an embarrassment as we all know at what speed the buses travel. The introduction of speed governors in principle reduced the income collected per day, as the drivers are tempted to over speed and are often paid according to trips made to earn more money. Many felt that speed governors would technically reduce the life span of the vehicles by damaging the engine and therefore avoided fitting speed governors.
Arusha- Namanga road is a narrow road which caters for heavy traffic, unless the road is properly maintained and widened accidents will always occur. Greater public awareness is needed for all road users on how to help and cope with such emergencies and the hospitals in general should be well equipped to respond to these medical needs. The Regional Police Commander=s initiative to ban all stray livestock grazing along the road is timely and a good beginning. People who disregard and abuse traffic laws should be dealt with firmly.
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Last
modified:
November 14, 2004
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