Houses along railway line in Tanzania to be demolished

Home » News » Houses along railway line in Tanzania to be demolished

Houses along railway line in Tanzania to be demolished

Houses constructed along road reserves and railway line in Tanzania are set for demolition.The government has instructed the Reli Assets Holding Company Limited (RAHCO), Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS) and Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) to demolish all buildings built on road reserves and railway line in Tanzania to protect the infrastructures from damages.

Professor Makame Mbarawa, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications who spoke after a tour of Tazara Railway Bridge at Mbalizi, said it was high time relevant authorities demolished all houses built on all buildings built on railway line and roads reserves in Tanzania.

“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.

Tazara railway line

The minister indicated as well that the government was working hard to improve the Tazara and central railway lines so as to ensure that all cargo passing through the port of Dar es Salaam are transported by trains and not road noting that currently only four per cent of cargo at the port of Dar es Salaam is transported by railway.

The minister further appealed to the management of Tazara to provide public awareness on the dangers of mining of stone aggregates and sand and on railway line reserves, especially beneath railway bridges so as to avoid destroying the infrastructure and posing dangers to safety of the transport mode.

The TAZARA Regional Manager for Tanzania, Mr Fuad Abdallah, on his part pledged before the minister that all structures erected on the reserves will be demolished in accordance with the law. He further explained that the law requires residents to put up houses at 30 metres and 15 metres in rural and urban areas, respectively.

During his tour of Mbeya Region, the minister also inspected a workshop that is operated by Tazara, which offers repairs and maintenance to 39 locomotives of Diesel Electric (DE) make. Professor Mbarawa also noted first hand shortage of equipment and spare parts while some of the available machinery were outdated.