admin
Blessings Chidakwa
Herald Reporter
Transporters have taken it upon themselves to conscientise passengers on their rights including that of reporting bad driving behaviour to eliminate road carnage.
With the festive season upon us, where the majority are travelling to different places to be with their loved ones and relatives, passengers’ rights have been identified as critical in reducing road carnage.
Most road carnages are prevalent during this time hence transporters on their part have also lined a host of activities including servicing their buses, installing speed-limiting devices, and doing refresher courses for their drivers among others.
Among the transporters who have taken the lead is one of the leading bus transporters, Stallion Cruise, whose manager Mr Noel Mutendereki has spent the better part of the day interacting with passengers and educating them about their rights.
Mr Mutendereki was in Harare speaking to several passengers who boarded their buses heading to various destinations including Victoria Falls, Bulawayo and Gweru.
“What we have done this holiday is to make sure that all our buses are well serviced to be roadworthy. But the most critical part today is that we are here where we are educating our passengers who are the main stakeholders in our business.
“We are educating them that they have rights as passengers including informing drivers to avoid behaving in a rogue manner as lives are sacred. We have put contact numbers for them to report any bad driving behaviour.”
Zimbabwe Public Transport Organisation (ZPTO) chairman Dr Sam Nhanhanga also weighed in discouraging even passengers from travelling drunk as they end up being cheerleaders to the bus crew.
“Our main message today is that passengers should themselves avoid being drunk as they end up influencing drivers to drive recklessly. This holiday we are saying no to those passengers who want to cause confusion on our roads.
“We say to passengers let us behave, yes we know at times that they might be tired but let us behave. On our part as bus operators we are servicing our buses so that we reduce accidents, as you can see I am here servicing one of the buses,” he said wearing an overall while working.
Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe Director Mr Munesu Munodawafa implored passengers to report negligent driving and speak out their rights.
“Our passengers have a role to play in reaching their destinations safely. The number one role is that passengers can desist from cheering the drivers to speed.
“There are reports where accidents happened as a result of passengers cheering drivers to speed or overtake. Passengers also should desist from encouraging drivers to cross flooded rivers in order to beat time,” he said.
Mr Munodawafa said passengers should also report to the nearest Police station if they discover that the driver is misbehaving on the road as there is a need to observe road regulations.
According to the statistics released by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, more than 18 people died in separate road traffic accidents countrywide since the onset of this year’s festive season which started on December 15.
A passenger who was boarding a Stallion Cruise bus headed to Victoria Falls, Mrs Rudo Chenhamo said it gives them comfort to see the operators engaging them.
“We are very grateful for what the bus operators are doing this holiday empowering us as passengers to have the right to tell drivers to behave,” she said.
Another passenger boarding a CAG Tours heading to the City of Kings and Queens, Mr Tinotenda Maruva also applauded the move by bus operators to engage them.
“I now have the courage to speak out for my rights without fear as life is precious. Today we are on our way to Bulawayo as a family, so we should not risk our lives just because of the driver, so if the crew misbehaves or drives badly I can boldly report them freely,” he said.
Online Reporter