adminSHORTLY, a lot of people will be travelling within the country as we celebrate our 33rd Heroes holiday. We would like to urge all road users to be “heroes” by preventing all preventable road crashes. “Together we can save millions of lives”. This article will offer advice to different road users. Drivers (Private Vehicles)
You must ensure that you are a holder of a driver’s licence meant for the class of vehicle you are driving.
Every car driver must also ensure that they carry the following legal requirements:
- A fire extinguisher.
- Two red reflective triangles per each vehicle.
- A serviceable spare wheel.
- A wheel spanner or wheel brace capable of undoing the wheel nuts on the vehicle.
It is the responsibility of each driver to do some pre-drive checks on a vehicle. The minimum tread depth of a tyre is 1mm but may I emphasise that if a tyre looks beyond reasonable doubt, dangerous, the ZRP is empowered to arrest and issue a ticket to such drivers. They are mandated to ensure safety on our roads and will not wait until your tyre bursts and prove to be fatal.
From this column and other media, drivers are now aware of the retro-reflective materials and specifications as required by the law. It is an offence to drive a vehicle which does not meet specified requirements in terms of retro-reflective material or lights.
Your driver’s licence must be readily accessible and, upon demand, must be shown to the police. It is obvious that in the interest of road safety there will be many checkpoints. We urge drivers to carry their documents to avoid unnecessary delays at checkpoints. As usual, the police will be out in full force to weed out non-holders who may want to also travel during holiday.
Public Service Vehicle Drivers
Statutory 168 of 2006 outlines the requirements for driving a public service vehicle. It is an offence to drive a Public Service Vehicle while not meeting all the requirements.
The requirements are as follows:
- A valid defensive driver’s certificate.
- A valid medical certificate.
- An appropriate class of driver’s licence which is +five years old.
- A re-test that is done every five years.
Public Service Vehicle (PSV) drivers must be above 25 years and below 71 years. The commuters must refuse to be loaded into vehicles driven by under-age and unqualified drivers. The law compels Public Service Vehicle drivers to display a valid medical certificate and a valid defensive driver’s certificate in such a manner that whoever enters the Public Service Vehicle will be able to see it.
Transporters and Public Service Vehicle drivers must be sure that they meet each of the above stated requirements. It is grossly unfair to knowingly drive to the next roadblock and cause unnecessarily long delays to the unsuspecting commuting public.
Passengers
Passengers must contribute to their safety in one way or the other. A passenger has the right to report dangerous driving to the police. The Traffic Safety Council Whatsapp number that can be used is: 0716 000 507.
You must text the colour of the vehicle, the make and model, registration number and the route being travelled. It is also critical to describe the dangerous manner. Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe is closely working with transporter associations who will assist in identifying the culprit. The onus will be on the transporter to institute disciplinary measures on their crew.
Passengers must not urge drivers to speed and expose themselves and other road users to danger. They should also be aware of the fact that Public Service Vehicles travel at most 80km/h (wide tar) and 60km/h (other roads).
Transport operators
Transporters have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that their vehicles have proper documentation. The vehicle must be roadworthy. The owner must not subject the driver to multiple trips leading to fatigue. It is also an offence to employ under-qualified drivers. The requirements have been outlined above.
Bus Crews
Bus crews must for safety and legal reasons ensure that they do not mix goods and passengers. For example, door frames, window panes, flammable liquids and roofing material must not be mixed with passengers. The crew should also ensure that the doors are properly closed and all passengers safely seated. They should provide bins so that passengers do not throw away litter through the windows.
Conclusion
This article offered advice to drivers of private vehicles, PSV vehicles, passengers, transport operators and bus crews. We wish you all an accident-free Heroes holiday.
The writer, Ernest Muchena, is the spokesperson of the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe. He is a defensive driving expert and can be contacted on 0772 110 898 or 04-751208 (3) email [email protected] or [email protected]
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