Online Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS are expected to travel to varying destinations and for various reasons starting today as the country honours fallen heroes.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has already rolled out extensive deployments across the country’s roads, residential areas, industrial zones, and Central Business Districts (CBDs) to ensure peace, law, and order during the Heroes and Defence Forces holidays.
According to national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the measures were designed to safeguard both road safety and public security as the nation marks the 45th anniversary of the commemorations.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has deployed adequate manpower on the roads to ensure the public travels safely during the Heroes and Defence Forces holidays. “Decisive action will be taken against motorists who flout road rules and regulations. Unroadworthy vehicles, pirate taxis, buses without permits, unregistered and vehicles without number plates will be impounded. Drivers found under the influence of alcohol will be arrested,” said Comm Nyathi.
Police are taking the measures to safeguard both road safety and public security as the nation marks the 45th anniversary of the Heroes commemorations.
And according to the police spokesman, public service vehicle operators have been warned against overloading passengers and employing touts who harass or intimidate travellers, noting that some touts were engaging in criminal activities.
Equally encouraging is that the Commissioner-General of Police has directed commanders to intensify patrols in known crime hotspots, targeting drug peddlers, illicit substance dealers, and other criminal elements while specialised anti-robbery crack teams will remain on high alert throughout the holiday period.
Rural areas have been the popular destination for most travellers during this period and demand for public transport grows so much that some unscrupulous operators turn to unroadworthy vehicles to cash in on the desperate travellers.
Unroadworthy vehicles have contributed to the high accident and death rates during holidays like the Heroes and Defence Forces as police and the VID tend to be overwhelmed over the “long weekend”.
It is therefore encouraging that police have said they will be impounding unroadworthy vehicles as opposed to fining them and then allowing them to proceed with journeys.
In the past we would have bus crews that would use tickets from one roadblock as the pass for all the other police stops, they face while proceeding with the journey. The practice was counter productive as it encouraged operators to risk peoples’ lives by using defective vehicles as they would be guaranteed enough money from passengers to pay the fines and still make profits.
Away from the highways, police have undertaken to clamp down on illegal and unlicensed liquor outlets, as well as licensed operators flouting stipulated trading hours.
But it is not everything that has to be handled by police, people must know that the onus is on everyone to do the right thing and help preserve lives.
