Online Reporter
Herald Correspondent
A new speed-monitoring system command centre was launched in Kadoma, Mashonaland West Province, yesterday where drivers will be fined by police for speeding as the country adopts technology to curb road accidents.
This follows a similar launch last year in Harare, which has so far seen 1 000 drivers being arrested for speeding after being detected by the system.
The latest development also comes after the Zimbabwe Public Transport Organisation (ZPTO), which controls over 75 percent of the bus operators, agreed to link its fleet to the command centre, enabling law enforcement agents to detect any speeding by drivers and fine them accordingly.
Speaking during the official launch, the Commissioner of Road Motor Transportation Management Mr Dzingai Mafusire, representing the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said: “We recognise that the Zimbabwe Republic Police and law enforcers are mandated to protect lives and assets, which is one of their key duties. This is particularly crucial in the current context, where safeguarding lives and assets is paramount.”
“Against this backdrop, we are pleased to launch the speed-monitoring system, which will be utilised to monitor road activities. This tool is expected to aid efforts in mitigating the alarming rate of road accidents that claim lives daily.”
Mr Mafusire added, “We are delighted that we are leveraging Intelligent Command and Control Systems (ICGs) to address long-standing issues. However, as we know, the solution extends beyond just launching these systems; we must also align our actions with these initiatives.”
The move comes after Government in 2023 ordered that all public service vehicles, including buses, be fitted with speed limiting and monitoring devices to ensure speeding by drivers is curbed, thereby saving lives.
Transport operators have been fitting buses with speed tracking and limiting devices in line with Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, which limits speed to 100km/h on the open road.
ZPTO chairman Dr Sam Nhanhanga said that transport operators’ compliance is part of their efforts to support government initiatives in smart policing.
“In most countries worldwide, you don’t see police officers on the road. It’s digital enforcement. So, this is the same concept we’re trying to introduce in our country, our beloved country.
“After experiencing significant losses, both human and material, it became apparent that this might be the way forward, where anyone can be enforced upon. As long as you have the necessary data and passwords, you can monitor all buses in the country.”
Dr Nhanhanga also revealed that they had so far managed to reduce bus accidents by 30 percent.
“So, we are now aiming that by the end of 2027, we will be able to reduce bus accidents by 80 percent, but we cannot achieve this alone as bus operators, without your input.
“For bus operators with 10 buses or fewer, monitoring might be manageable, but for those with a fleet of 20 buses or more, independent enforcers are necessary to ensure our drivers and crews are being monitored.”
Officer Commanding Mashonaland West Province, Assistant Commissioner Tawonei Nyazema, said the police will remain solid until road users comply.
“It is our duty to ensure that road users comply with the road rules and regulations.
“In this instance, the system is well-placed in our country as it caters for all drivers who speed above the stipulated speed limit of 100km per hour and as ZRP we don’t want to see drivers speeding above the speed limit of 100 km/h. We remain on high alert to thwart those road abusers.”
