Airports to have lifts for disabled people

DAILY NEWS Reporters in Dodoma

Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Eng Edwin Ngonyani

THE Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) and the ground handler at the country’s major airports, Swissport Tanzania, have been challenged to procure Ambu-lifts to enable swift access for people with disabilities when boarding aeroplanes.

Ambu-lifts allow people with disabilities to be uplifted on planes with ease but the appliance does not feature on most local airfields. As a result, Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Eng Edwin Ngonyani, directed the TAA and Swissport to procure the devices as soon as possible.

Eng Ngonyani made the directive when responding to a follow-up question by Special Seats MP, Ms Stella Ikupa (CCM), who expressed concern that only the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) had ambu-lifts.

The MP further tasked the government to explain how it would extend the services to other airports such as Kilimanjaro and Songwe International Airports.

Responding to the concerns by the MP, Eng Ngonyani said the government recognises the needs of people with disabilities and as a result it had put in place facilities such as wheel chairs, stretchers and lifts at some airfields.

The Deputy Minister mentioned the airports where the facilities were currently available as Mwanza, Mafia, Arusha, Tanga, Songwe in addition to Mtwara and Bukoba.

“Efforts to extend the services to other airfields are undergoing and during the next financial year the government through TAA has allocated funds to improve infrastructure including facilities for people with disabilities and the sick,” he explained.

On his part, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, (Policy, Parliament, Labour, Employment, Youth and Disabled), Dr Abdallah Possi, explained further that the new Disability Act requires all buildings to be fitted with facilities to enable easy access to people with disabilities.

Dr Possi noted however that many buildings in the country are old and were built before the legislation came into place, stressing that the government was committed to push developers to adhere to the new law.