Alumni Spotlight: Regnald Raby Massawe, Tanzania

Alumni Spotlight

Regnald plays a key role in Tanzania’s world-first Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure

DRSC alumnus Regnald Raby Massawe (2021, 2025) is a Regional Manager and Road Safety Expert at the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS). Since completing the DRSC course he has achieved accreditation as a Road Safety Audit Team Member through the International Road Federation (IRF) and has been nominated by TANROADS to serve as a team member for the implementation of the Ten Step Plan Project in Tanzania – a methodology developed by iRAP and the IRF, with UN Road Safety Fund support, to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries by building the institutional capacity to improve infrastructure safety.

Tanzania is the first country in the world to implement the Ten Step Plan and in 2024, TANROADS was awarded the Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy at a ceremony in Morocco, recognising the road agency as the one of the world’s best performers for eliminating high-risk roads. Regnald’s work on the programme was a direct contribution to this achievement. His role involved conducting site inspections, reviewing road designs, identifying hazards, and developing recommendations to improve safety for all road users.

“I believe that practical, skills-based training is essential for turning knowledge into effective action. This motivates me to continue building my own expertise while mentoring others and promoting evidence-based road safety practices that can save lives and reduce serious injuries.”

“Road crashes affect different road users in different ways. Too often, the focus is placed on individual road users without fully understanding the broader road safety principles and the factors that contribute to crashes. A Safe System Approach recognises that road safety is a shared responsibility and requires improvements in road infrastructure, vehicle safety, speed management, and post-crash response, alongside safer road user behaviour.”

Through DRSC, Regnald gained the practical tools to turn road safety knowledge into effective action. He has applied the learning directly in his audit practice, drawing on the Safe System Approach, Road Safety Audit methodology, and risk assessment techniques to review infrastructure from the perspective of all road users. His recommendations on the Ten Step Plan — covering intersection layouts, speed management, signage and markings, pedestrian crossings, roadside safety features, and provision for vulnerable road users — have been incorporated into the design, upgrading, and management of roads across Tanzania’s network.

He has also been active in building local capacity, mentoring up to 12 TANROADS engineers in Road Safety Audit principles and procedures, supporting them in gaining the competencies required to qualify as Road Safety Audit Observers. He has also served as a guest lecturer for a local NGO, the Tanzania Road Safety Initiative (TARSI), delivering training on road safety principles, the Safe System Approach, and road safety auditing to a broader audience of over 50 practitioners.