admin
Court Reporter
POLICE will today launch the 30-day festive season campaign period against road carnage.
The 30-day period runs from December to 15 January 15 each year and national police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi in an interview yesterday, called on motorists to observe road rules to avoid loss of life.
Chief Supt Nyathi warned public transport operators not to overload their vehicles.
“We will be issuing a statement tomorrow as the season starts and we will be talking about crime, traffic and other offences that are common this season,” said Chief Supt Nyathi.
He appealed to motorists to respect other road users.
“We are appealing to travellers to exercise extreme caution as they travel for festive season holidays. We encourage them to observe road rules and regulations. We also want to appeal to public service vehicle operators to avoid overloading and to respect other road users, be it pedestrians or other motorists,” said Chief Sup Nyathi.
“Motorists should be on the lookout for animals on the road as these are usually on the road thereby causing accidents.”
A number of accidents on the country’s major roads have been caused by animals, especially cattle and donkeys.
Last year, a total of 219 deaths were recorded from 1 403 accidents during the period compared to 147 accident-related deaths in 2011.
In the last two weeks, more than a dozen people lost their lives in separate accidents, one of them involving Pathfinder luxury bus which collided with a haulage truck at Lochard area near Shangani along the Bulawayo-Harare highway.
The other involved a Toyota Quantum, which killed three people believed to be from Malawi who died on the spot near Mbembesi, also on the same road.
On the same weekend two people died on the spot near Esigodini along Bulawayo-Beitbridge road.
Online Reporter