VARIOUS stakeholders met in Dar es Salaam yesterday to launch a new initiative aimed at making roads safer for pupils.

Simon Kalolo, Amend country manager working with the World Bank country office now in the second phase of the Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP 2 costing over $330m, was among stakeholders at the meeting, who included pupils from Pius Msekwa, Kunduchi and Tegeta primary schools.

The schools are all located along major roads, where the pupils’ road safety activist non-governmental organisation arranged the stakeholders’ meeting, demanding that the metropolitan designs for roads shift toward a "people-centred" approach to urban development.

 The meeting brought together road design experts, ministerial officials and pupils representatives, where the country manager said the primary goal was to gather direct feedback from children about their daily commutes.

This approach highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable road users, a group that has often been overlooked in traditional road design that prioritizes vehicle traffic, he said, pointing at the need to include this aspect in DMDP2, set to improve upwards of 260 kilometers of roads from 2025 to 2030.

By including children's input in the design process, engineers can build safer and more accessible roads for pedestrians and people with special needs, he said, noting that the child-centred approach has the full support of public bodies, including the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) and the World Bank.

If the programme is successful, it could help prevent deaths and injuries among child pedestrians, he said, highlighting that Amend (T) intends to seek media outlets to further raise public awareness and attention of policymakers on the importance of child-focused road safety.

Community leaders and educators also emphasized the need for public participation, with Agatha Tembo, from the DMDP-KMC project, centred in Kinondoni municipality, stressed that the various stakeholders need to collaborate to prevent accidents.

She urged the public to help public agencies in efforts to stop people from stealing temporary wooden signs from construction sites, as their removal makes the environment more dangerous, particularly for children.

Prosper Lyimo, a teacher from Kunduchi primary school, highlighted the role of educators in this effort, suggesting that teachers should regularly remind pupils about the dangers of construction sites, encouraging them to be vigilant on the roads.

The meeting consensus was that a comprehensive strategy—combining policy changes, direct community feedback and public education—is essential for building a sustainable and safe road network for everyone.

The focus on children’s safety is a crucial step toward creating more inclusive and secure urban environments in city public spaces, stakeholders affirmed.