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Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe
The upgraded Highway Code launched by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) in the capital on Thursday is expected to bring about much needed sanity on the country’s roads with the introduction of the four way stop system.
Speaking during the launch, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Dr Jorum Gumbo said the introduction of the box junction would be useful in decongesting busy roads in cities across the country.
Simply put, the box junction means that it is illegal for any driver to enter an intersection that they cannot clear. Drivers can no longer wait for the road ahead to clear while stuck in the intersection.
“I hope that the problem of congestion will be a thing of the past as the worldwide-used intervention of using the box junction is capable of solving the problem. The junction of Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way has been used as a pilot with preliminary observations proving that the box junction is indeed a way of decongesting an intersection,” said Dr Gumbo.
The yellow lines criss-crossing the junction at Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way in Harare’s CBD have left many motorists and pedestrians alike wondering just what is going on.
Some with driving experience in other countries where the box junction exists understand what this means. The end of traffic gridlocks. Hopefully.
For some reason, Harare drivers have taken to entering intersections that they have no hope of clearing and blocking cross traffic with a clear path ahead of them.
Julius Nyerere Way and Chinhoyi Street have to be among the worst places in the CBD. Coke Corner in Graniteside is another place where drivers seem to love locking each other up so that they can spend half the evening cursing at the world. All because some people are too stupid to realise that giving way to cross traffic if you cannot clear the intersection ensures smooth flows on our roads.
Dr Gumbo urged everyone to get hold of the upgraded Highway Code saying it is not just for drivers, but all road users.
“To all road users, the upgraded version of the Highway Code is a must-have. It has specific rules for all categories of road users,” said Dr Gumbo.
He told road users that it is their duty to learn about the new signage and rules which are now effective. This includes current drivers who were instructed and tested using the old Highway Code.
“To the existing driver, it’s your duty to ensure that you also understand the new traffic laws. To disobey them is a betrayal of the trust that Government placed in you when you were issued with a driver’s licence. Get your own copy of the upgraded version. New signs such as the minimum speed limit sign, No hitch hiking sign and many more will improve traffic flow and make travelling on our roads enjoyable as well as safe.”
For those who think they can break traffic laws with impunity, the situation may soon change. Dr Gumbo said a new system of keeping tabs on traffic offenders could come into play in the near future.
“The Road Traffic Act Chapter 13.11 which is administered by my Ministry has a provision of implementing a penalty point system for traffic offenders — a system that is similar to the Swedish practice and indeed adopted by many other countries.
“Driving is a privilege — it’s not a right. When you demonstrate disrespect for traffic law, the privilege can be taken away from you. The TSCZ has set up a road safety policy inconsistences and amendments committee which I’m reliably informed is crafting a recommendation of fully adopting the penalty point system.
“Should my Ministry accept their recommendations, I’ll not hesitate to come up with a Statutory Instrument to that effect. This will deal effectively with habitual traffic offenders as they will risk being suspended or banned from driving on our roads.”
Every Zimbabwean hopes that the updated Highway Code and new road signs will effectively curb carnage on the roads.
“As you’re aware, we’re drawing closer to the end of the Decade of Action for road safety. The Harmonisation of Road Signs is one of the strategies employed by the Sadc region in order to achieve the UN set target of reducing carnage on the World’s roads by 50 percent,” said Dr Gumbo.
A box junction is a road control measure designed to prevent congestion and gridlock at junctions. The surface of the junction is typically marked with a criss-cross grid of diagonal painted lines (or only two lines crossing each other in the box), and vehicles may not enter the area so marked unless their exit from the junction is clear (or, if turning, to await a gap in the oncoming traffic flow).
Box junctions were introduced in the United Kingdom in 1967, following a successful trial in London. In both Ireland and the United Kingdom (where cars drive on the left ), drivers may enter the box and wait when they want to turn right and are stopped from doing so only by oncoming traffic or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.
Similar yellow boxes may be painted on other areas of roadway which must be kept free of queuing traffic, such as exits from emergency vehicle depots or level crossings.
Online Reporter