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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent
THE ongoing operation “Tame the Traffic Jungle” by the police has so far seen the arrest of 68 020 motorists with almost a third of these being 21 453 drivers of mushikashika, the largest group arrested.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the operation, initially scheduled to run for two weeks from September 12 to September 26 before it was extended indefinitely, had now seen 1 792 arrests on vehicles without route permits while 21 453 arrests have been made on illegal pirate taxis (mushika-shika).
A total of 397 people have been arrested for reckless driving while 4 881 were arrested for touting. So far, 1 406 vehicles have been impounded for being on the roads with no registration plates, Assist Comm Nyathi said.
Motorists have since welcomed the ongoing joint operation launched to tame the traffic chaos.
The police are conducting the operation jointly with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Vehicle Inspectorate Department, city and town councils, Insurance Company of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Road Administration and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
The operation is targeting vehicles that do not have registration plates, do not have up to date Zinara licensing, have foreign fittings such as flood lights and improperly imported vehicles, had incorrect duty paid on import, are improperly marked, are public service vehicles loading and offloading passengers at undesignated places, pirate taxis and kombis, heavy vehicles criss-crossing within towns and cities in disregard of city by-laws causing congestion, undocumented and defective public service vehicles, motorists parking dangerously in the middle of roads to avoid paying parking fees in designated bays and pedestrians using undesignated crossing points on the roads.
“Lawlessness on the roads, especially in major cities has reached an alarming and unacceptable level. Some drivers cause chaos by driving against one way, oncoming traffic, through red robots and lane violation.
“Pirate taxis commonly known as mushika-shika and kombis have almost taken over the passenger service industry and are plying the roads with impunity.
“They recklessly drive through red robots (at traffic lights) controlled intersections. As a result of the chaos on the roads, innocent motorists are having a nightmare while driving in the urban set-ups,” read a police memo announcing the operation.
Online Reporter