Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has called for stricter safety measures in the transportation of school children following a fatal commuter omnibus fire in Gweru that killed seven pupils.
The children were burnt to death on Wednesday last week when the vehicle they were travelling in caught fire near Senga Shopping Centre in the city’s Senga suburb.
Preliminary investigations suggest the omnibus may have been carrying a container of petrol at the time, raising concerns over the transportation of hazardous substances alongside passengers.
President Mnangagwa declared the incident a National Disaster.
In response, TSCZ managing director Mr Munesu Munodawafa urged motorists, parents and school authorities to prioritise pupil safety, particularly in the selection and monitoring of transport providers.
“Firstly, we would like to extend our condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. It is painful to lose children under such circumstances,” he said.
“School authorities must ensure that vehicles used to transport pupils are roadworthy, properly licensed and insured so that there is recourse in the event of an accident.”
Mr Munodawafa warned against the dangerous practice of mixing passengers with goods, especially flammable substances such as fuel, and emphasised the need to avoid overloading.
He said the council would intensify road safety awareness campaigns across the country, targeting schools and major highways in an effort to curb road traffic accidents.
The tragedy has also drawn strong reactions from the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ), which has long raised concerns over the unsafe transportation of school children.
PAZ president Mr Tafadzwa Goliati said authorities must take immediate action to enforce existing regulations.
“Police must prosecute anyone who authorises or allows fuel to be transported with passengers. The Vehicle Inspection Department, ZRP and local authorities must impound any vehicle carrying fuel or other dangerous substances,” he said.
“Spot checks must be conducted daily, not only after a tragedy. The Ministry of Transport must also ban unregistered and overloaded commuter omnibuses from transporting school children. Children are not cargo.”
