Crowd heats up debate on motor sport safety
Crowd control has been a hot debate during the FIA-sanctioned motor sports safety seminar that ended at the Tanga Beach Resort here last Friday.
The seminar highlighted several topics for safety considerations but the crowd control one took participants particularly from Morogoro into the hot debate.
One of the up-and-coming- motor sport driver and marshal fromMorogoro Kartik Valambia said the region is struggling to realise safety measures especially to curb over-crowdance.
“We have been struggling to take control of crowd during our events but there is a need to get more assistance to find a breakthrough”, said Kartik.
One of the five FIA instructors from the Automobile and Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates Ronald Morgan, said the best way to curb crowd is to increase efforts in public awareness during motor rallies.
He said people should be advised on how to take positions during the events and also there has to be a strong cooperation with police force and local authorities.
Morgan continued to say that if possible motor sport fans should be educated on the dangers of staying closer to the routes where competing cars pass during motor rallies
Morogoro is the only lace in Tanzania where five spectators perished during a motor rally event staged in 2010. However, ever since the organisers have been struggling to find a permanent solution to take control of crowd during rallies.
In related development, one of the Automobile Association of Tanzania’s officials, Satindersingh Birdi said his body is trying hard to increase awareness for crowd control but lack of continuity among motor club officials has become a huge drawback.
He bemoaned a frequent change of leadership which sometimes happen even a full tenure of the leaders is effected, contributes to the slowing down of the AAT efforts to promote safety considerations.
“Not that we are not doing enough, but our efforts are derailed by lack of continuity by motor sports club leaders. Every now and then there are new faces on the leadership corridors thus we happen to start from the scratch, an issue which we had already deliberated”, said Birdi.
However, Birdi said the AAT is still fighting both ends against the middle in ensuring that motor rallies are staged with extensive safety considerations to save life of people and avoid injuries.
“We are very committed to safe people’s life whether drivers, navigators, marshals and the spectators whom we love most as they support our events”, said Birdi.
This is the second time for motor sport safety seminar to be held in Morogoro but this one involved the first choice stakeholders in the sport, marshals, stewards and organisers.