Chronicle Editor
Talent Gore Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has warned public transport operators it will cancel route permits for companies whose employees’ reckless driving leads to accidents.
Speaking ahead of the festive season, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said concerted efforts were needed to reduce road carnage.
“As a nation, Zimbabwe is committed to the United Nations-declared Decade of Action for Road Safety, which envisages a reduction in road traffic deaths by 50 percent by 2020 and it is not in our interests for these tragedies to continue, so we must all unite and end these accidents,” he said.
“I believe that as a country, we can reduce road deaths by 50 percent or even better if we all play a part.”
He said public transport operators should comply with the law after being given operator’s licence and route authority.
“Public transport operators are strongly urged to desist from the habit of overworking their drivers resulting in fatigue, non-adherence to timetables and overloading of buses is strictly prohibited,” said Dr Gumbo.
He also urged drivers to stick to the regulated speed limits as speeding had been found to be one of the major causes of fatal accidents.
“My ministry will not hesitate to cancel route authorities for those operators whose drivers are constantly caught on the wrong side of the traffic laws and disregard for the sanctity of human life,” said Dr Gumbo.
He said in order to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage due to road crashes this festive season and beyond, travellers should exercise caution and restraint when on the road.
He said all road users were discouraged from using mobile phones while driving, walking along or crossing the road.
Dr Gumbo encouraged the public to make this Christmas and New Year’s holidays accident free by exercising extreme caution on the road and adhering to all the traffic laws.
Meanwhile, Abigail Mawonde resports that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure has proposed the deployment of ambulances along the country’s major highways during the festive season to ensure victims of accidents are taken to hospital on time.
Yesterday’s call comes as the country recorded 112 deaths from road accidents last month alone.
The festive season is traditionally associated with high road carnage.
Committee chairperson and Chegutu West legislator Cde Dexter Nduna told The Herald the ambulances could be stationed at toll gates.
“We are looking at establishing Accident Victims Stabilisation Centres at all toll gates and toll plazas. That is going to see ambulances and doctors being stationed at toll gates which are 100 kilometres apart so that any accident that will happen within their perimeter will be attended to expeditiously,” he said.
“Road accident victims usually die in the first 30 minutes if they are not attended. We need to stabilise them within the first 30 minutes by establishing reaction units,” he said.
Cde Nduna said the committee had since invited the Zimbabwe National Road Administration to discuss the matter.
He said his committee was fully behind President Mugabe’s call for an accident- free festive season.
“The committee calls for the inspection of all vehicles on our roads to ensure that they are roadworthy,” he said.
Zimbabwe is estimated to have 1,5 million vehicles.
Cde Nduna said it was important that accident victims get compensation from insurance companies.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Union for Drivers and Conductors president Mr Fradrick Maguramhinga said they had since embarked on road safety awareness campaigns in Harare.
Online Reporter