adminLorraine Phiri Chronicle Reporter
TRAFFIC police in Bulawayo have been hit by a serious shortage of resources, which is making it difficult for them to carry out their operations.
In a speech read on his behalf by the officer commanding Bulawayo Central District, Chief Superintendent Leslie Seretse Maninge, during the provincial re-launch of the Traffic Police Service Charter in Bulawayo yesterday, the officer commanding Bulawayo Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Stephen Mutamba said the shortage of resources was a challenge that was making it difficult to fulfil some of the service charter obligations.
“Traffic policing is an expensive job that requires state-of- the- art equipment such as breathalysers and speed detecting machines, high-powered motorcycles and light vehicles so that our officers are able to attend to accidents scenes within 10 minutes as we promised in the Service Charter,” said Snr Asst Comm Mutamba.
“We also need pick up trucks to carry bodies to mortuaries. Bulawayo Traffic has only one defender vehicle which is not enough to meet all these needs.”
Snr Asst Comm Mutamba appealed to the corporate world to assist them with the resources so that there are able to reduce road accidents and promote free flow of traffic.
“I appeal to the corporate world and community in general to assist the police with these much needed resources in the spirit of community assistance so that we can have orderly flow of traffic on the roads.
“Everyone must also rise and play a pivotal role in reducing accidents and taming the traffic jungle,” he said.
Snr Asst Comm Mutamba urged members of the public to desist from giving police officers bribes and boarding transport at undesignated points.
“Motorists as well as the general public must desist from the bad habit of giving police officers gifts or bribes. If you are charged for a traffic offence and you are willing to pay deposit fine be issued with a receipt written Z69J that shows you have paid your fine in an official receipt book,” he said.
“Let me also appeal to owners of the public transport services to desist from giving drivers high revenue targets per day as this promotes speeding, which may cause accidents.”
Meanwhile, Snr Asst Comm Mutamba said the police would not hesitate to deal with perpetrators of violence ahead of the harmonised elections.
“The election dates have been declared let us all go and vote freely and peaceful without inciting violence as the police will deal with perpetrators of violence without fear or favour,” he said.
A service charter is a document that defines the minimum level of service that the public should expect from the police.
It also suggests how members of the public may assist the police to give the best possible service in the fight against crime.
Online Reporter