NEW: 64 percent of aspiring drivers pass road tests in Manicaland

Post Reporter

MANICALAND recorded 63,5 percent of aspiring drivers who managed to pass competency tests last year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

This was the highest among the country’s 10 provinces.

According to the 2018-2022 transport statistics report, a total of 283 017 candidates took competency tests and only 133 018 passed.

Nationally, 47,1 percent of aspiring drivers passed competency tests in 2022.

The report was compiled using data obtained from the transport ministry, Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Zimbabwe Republic Police, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).

Presenting the report, Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) director-general, Mr Taguma Mahonde also said a year-on-year comparison of total road traffic accidents reflects a 16,1 percent increase from 45 307 (20210 to 52 585 (2022).

“In all the provinces, except Manicaland (63,5 percent) and Mashonaland East (63,3 percent), proportions of candidates who passed the certificate of competency tests in 2022 were less than 50 percent. The number of deaths due to road traffic accidents declined by 4.5 percent from 553 in the third quarter of 2022 to 528 in the fourth quarter,” said Mr Mahonde.

He said in Bulawayo province, 37,5 percent of the 17 102 candidates that registered passed, while 38,3 percent of those who registered in Matabeleland North passed.

Mat South had 16 183 candidates with a 37,9 percent pass rate.

Harare had the highest number of candidates (108 515) with a 49,8 pass rate while Mashonaland Central had the least (7 938) with a 34,2 percent pass rate.