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Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has applauded the Government’s recent review and implementation of radius-based restrictions for commuter omnibuses.
Government last week announced that public kombis are now restricted to operating within a radius of 60km, down from 120km.
The kombis are also prohibited from operating without speed limiting and monitoring devices in terms of Section 3 (1) of Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023.
In a statement, PAZ national coordinator Mr Tafadzwa Goliati said the move is positive, adding that they are concerned about the increasing rate of road accidents.
Mr Goliati urged all stakeholders to focus on reducing or eliminating the accidents.
“We support the enforcement of Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023 which requires vehicles to have speed limiting and monitoring devices as this is crucial in preventing accidents,” he said.
“However, radius restrictions may limit accessibility to certain areas. To address this issue we advocate for alternative, safe public transport systems.
“This is particularly important for long-distance routes and rural areas that face challenges due to poor road conditions. We also call for improved law enforcement to curb road accidents.”
Mr Goliati said they have seen some passengers on kombi rooftops, which pose significant risks.
“Furthermore, the prevalence of touts hanging outside moving vehicles is a dangerous and unacceptable practice,” he said.
“We are also concerned about the overloading of passengers and goods. This can compromise vehicle safety and contribute to accidents. We urge law enforcement to act accordingly.”
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