EDITORIAL : The menace of undesignated pick-up points continues

DESPITE several campaigns by relevant authorities and the recent increase in ZRP deployments to deal with traffic offenders, the dangerous habit of commuters hailing transport on undesignated pick-up points continues.

The never-ending habit can be attributed to convenience, impatience, or ignorance of the risks posed but this seriously endangers lives of law-abiding road users while also disrupting traffic flow and cause congestion.

Harare is the worst affected by this habit and the challenges exist on every road out of the Central Business District. The level of lawlessness on these Harare roads is shocking to any sane road user and the agony is that there does not seem to be any sight of the end of a tunnel.

There is a combination of kombis and Mshikashika vehicles that roam certain points on the roads on the outskirts of the CBD and either rank there or suddenly brake on

the sight of any potential commuter.

The dangers are very clear. Stopping in unauthorised areas, where there are road markings and signs warning against such, forces other motorists to swerve or brake suddenly, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

And given that most of these roads are busy for much of the day, any such disruption or illegal stops result in congestion as the rest of motorists now have to share one or

two lanes available during the course of law breaking by both the transporters and commuters.

As supported by regular police statements, many of the vehicles that pick-up passengers from these undesignated spots are often unregulated and, thus, pose risks of crime, overloading, and mechanical failure.

Therefore, the commuters who opt for these unsafe transporters on undesignated pick-up points put themselves at risk of being robbed or stranded in the event of a breakdown along the way, especially in unfamiliar territories.

We therefore appeal to the authorities to take sterner action against both passengers and transporters who engage in this reckless practice. The commuters themselves are a big problem because in most cases they gather at the undesignated pick-up points, which forces the kombis and even private transporters to then come for them fully aware that they are breaking the law.

Without the commuters standing at undesignated pick-up points, there is no business for the kombis, Mshikashikas and private transporters. That means there wont be any problem is commuters go to the designated pick-up points, which actually exist and are known to the public.

Periodic campaigns have been held but law enforcement should intensify and sustain crackdowns, issuing fines and impounding vehicles caught picking up passengers in no-stopping zones.

Police patrols have been carried out on numerous occasions but in many instances some of the cops deployed become too friendly with the misbehaving kombis and Mshikashikas that the problem has refused to die.

So, while deployments are done, the authorities need to then monitor their troops as

some of them are putting the names of ZRP and Harare City Council (traffic

department) into disrepute.

With regards commuters, regular awareness campaigns are also needed to warn

them of the risks and legal problems of creating and using illegal pickup points.