Online Reporter
Obey Sibanda
ONE person died and 16 were seriously injured when a commuter omnibus collided with a seven-tonne truck at the Monarch Turn along Kami Road in Bulawayo on Friday night.
The deceased passenger was trapped inside the commuter omnibus and had to be extricated by Bulawayo Fire Brigade crews who attended the scene.
Four ambulances from the Bulawayo City Council and two from Highway Emergency Services ferried the injured passengers to Mpilo Central Hospital for treatment.
The accident caused major traffic congestion along Kami Road, with the route remaining closed for nearly an hour as emergency services attended to the victims and cleared the wreckage.
Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mr Mhlangano Moyo, who attended the scene, described the accident as serious and said preliminary indications pointed to human error.
“It could have been avoided if the driver had exercised caution,” he said.
Mr Moyo said although some commuter omnibus drivers had undergone defensive driving training, the impact on road safety remained limited.
He stressed the need for stronger and more practical driver training programmes that take into account varying education levels among public transport operators.
Mr Moyo urged passengers to play an active role in promoting road safety by reporting reckless driving behaviour.
“Passengers also have a role to play by reporting reckless commuter omnibus drivers. Enforcement is there honestly, but generally the key driving factor is lack of respect for human life which needs serious attention,” said Mr Moyo.
He also warned against the growing number of underage drivers operating public transport vehicles and called for increased awareness campaigns as well as closer engagement with vehicle owners to improve accountability.
Mr Moyo said effective road safety programmes were critical in changing attitudes, preventing accidents and encouraging greater community participation in making Bulawayo’s roads safer.
