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TO improve the country’s infrastructure, the Government has embarked on massive road rehabilitation programmes around the country. The Sunday Mail’s TANYARADZWA RUSIKE engaged in a wide-ranging interview with Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister FELIX MHONA on current milestones and what to expect going forward.
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Q: The Second Republic has embarked on expansive road rehabilitation programmes throughout the country. Can you outline the progress made so far?
A: The Second Republic’s road rehabilitation programme has made significant progress since its inception. To date, across Zimbabwe, we have rehabilitated over 96,3 kilometres (km) of major roads, resealed and asphalt-overlayed 91km. We have also pothole-patched 8 177km of roads, regravelled and regraded 2 167km of gravel roads, completed 10 071km of vegetation clearing, 4 608km of drain clearing and 899 drainage structures.
We have also managed to improve road safety through the installation of traffic management systems and created over 5 000 jobs for local communities through our labour-intensive approach.
Our plan going forward is to continue rehabilitating major roads, with a focus on the regional trunk road network (RTRN), primary and secondary roads. We also plan to expand our programme to include new projects in the next 12 months, exploring innovative technologies to enhance road maintenance and safety. We are committed to transforming Zimbabwe’s road network and improving connectivity for citizens and businesses alike.
Q: When will the programme be extended to cover sub-arterial roads in the suburbs?
A: Our plan is to commence rehabilitation works on sub-arterial roads in the major suburbs of Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan provinces. We are prioritising roads that have been identified as critical for community access and economic development, and engage with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure that our programme aligns with community needs.
We will provide regular updates on our progress.
Q: What measures are being implemented to improve road safety, particularly in reducing accidents?
A: The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has implemented various innovative programmes over the past two years to promote proper road use and raise public awareness.
These initiatives include the Livestock Awareness Programme, the Road Safety Champions Training for religious leaders, the revival of the Driver of the Year competitions previously suspended due to Covid-19. There is also the CEO after-hours engagement programme to promote TSCZ programmes and products among senior management in various organisations.
We are also expanding our operations for TSCZ to all 10 provinces, which were previously in six provinces. In addition, the Government is exploring ways to enhance enforcement efforts to support TSCZ’s road safety programmes.
Options under consideration include transforming TSCZ and reintroducing e-policing mechanisms through the Transport Management Centre, which will be an all-inclusive platform. These measures aim to reduce road accidents and improve road safety in Zimbabwe.
Q: What steps is the Government taking to improve the efficiency and accessibility of public transportation within urban areas?
A: Rapid urbanisation has increased the demand for public passenger transport services in urban areas. A good transport system is required to support the livelihood activities of the growing urban population.
Deregulation of urban public transport resulted in an unprecedented increase in the number of privately operated public transport vehicles, the majority being kombis.
The objective during the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) period is to achieve high-quality and efficient public transport services covering both rural and urban areas.
As such, the Government allowed for duty-free importation of public service buses through Statutory Instrument (SI) 138 of 2022 to alleviate transport challenges in urban areas, and this has capacitated bus operators.
The suspension of duty on brand-new buses has seen operators replacing their old vehicle fleet with modern buses, which are on both urban and rural routes.
Our ministry also collaborates with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, local authorities and transport operators’ associations in the management of bus ranking facilities and in resolving safety, operational and regulatory issues related to public transportation in urban areas.
The ministry has also enhanced the capacity of transport operators’ associations to self-regulate their members to restore sanity within our urban areas and improve compliance with regulatory requirements.
Consequently, there is a strong correlation between compliance to regulatory requirements and improved road safety.
Q: How is the Government collaborating with neighbouring countries to improve cross-border transportation?
A: Zimbabwe is a signatory of the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology. The objective of this protocol is to promote an efficient, reliable, economically viable and environmentally responsible and integrated transport system throughout Southern Africa. Article 6.2 of this protocol requires member states to harmonise road traffic laws, regulations, transit fees and axle load limits, and to progressively liberalise the cross-border road transport market.
To this end, the country has made significant progress in implementing this protocol, including the recently launched SADC-compliant driving licence.
Prior to the launch of the new SADC-compliant driving licence, cross-border drivers faced a number of challenges due to conflicting regulations, standards and processes, which create unnecessary administrative and operational constraints, as they have to conform and comply with different requirements when transiting different countries within the region.
Zimbabwe is also a signatory of the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) Treaty, which enables our transport operators to enjoy the convenience and freedom of a single cross-border permit regime to transit and traverse the entire COMESA region.
At the bilateral level, Zimbabwe signed bilateral road transport agreements with neighbouring countries to promote and facilitate the smooth flow of cross-border traffic.
Under these agreements, we cooperate with our regional counterparts to resolve operational challenges along road transport corridors.
The country is also leveraging on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and multilateral cross-border road transport agreements in terms of trade and transport facilitation on the continent.
Noting the dominant role of road transport in moving over 80 percent of the goods across our borders, the implementation of the AfCFTA requires member states to address transport-related challenges. These challenges include road transport regulatory fragmentation; lack of adequate transport infrastructure and connectivity; lack of harmonisation in cross-border road transport regulation; and inefficiencies at border crossings.
Similarly, in line with NDS1, the ministry is required to implement reforms in the roads sector to align Zimbabwe more closely with the requirements of the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology to improve road transport services.
This has been achieved through the standardisation and harmonisation of road transport regulations, laws, integrated national transport information systems and infrastructure/facilities related to vehicle registration, licensing and inspection; operators’ registration and licensing; and driver training, licensing and registration.
Q: How is the Government working to enhance the safety of public transportation to prevent accidents and fatalities?
A: About 94 percent of the established causes of road accidents are human error, especially speeding.
Through Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, the installation of speed-limiting devices is now compulsory for public service vehicles (PSVs), as this will go a long way in controlling speeding by PSV drivers.
This SI is, therefore, meant to protect ordinary citizens; that is, commuters and other road users. Over the years, the Government has rehabilitated major highways such as Harare-Beitbridge, Plumtree and Mutare.
However, an unintended consequence of this development has been speeding by drivers on the good roads.
Therefore, speed regulation is an important strategy in improving the country’s road safety performance and saving lives and achieving the road safety target set by NDS1.
To date, 41 companies have been approved by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe to instal speed-limiting and monitoring devices.
To further enhance the enforcement of this SI, the ministry will request operators to integrate their speed-limiting and monitoring systems into a Government vehicle tracking and monitoring system so that any violations are recorded in real-time and penalties imposed on the drivers.
The current policy and legislative frameworks for road transport administration, management and safety are fragmented.
Therefore, the administration and management of road transport reside in various institutions of Government, which sometimes adopt divergent approaches and end up competing, contradicting, duplicating or overlapping each other.
In line with the transformative thrust of NDS1, the ministry will establish a road transport management authority, which brings together the functions of TSCZ, the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID), the Road Motor Transportation (RMT) and the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) under one institution, to address the gaps in the following key road safety pillars: road safety management; safer roads and mobility; safer vehicles; safer road use; and post-crash management.
Concerning post-crash management, the Government will establish a road accident fund to provide comprehensive coverage for accident victims.
The ministry’s lead road safety agency, the TSCZ, conducts targeted awareness campaigns to educate transport operators, drivers and the general public about the dangers of overloading vehicles, speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving, et cetera.
These campaigns emphasise the negative impact of such practices on issues such as vehicle stability, braking distances and road infrastructure. The ministry frequently makes joint operations with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the VID, RMT and TSCZ to enforce vehicle weight restrictions and fitness, and driver behaviour, and penalise offenders.
Joint operations and spot checks are conducted to identify and penalise reckless drivers and impound unroadworthy vehicles.
Road safety education is also being done through utilisation of various channels, including social media, radio and television to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving.
It emphasises the importance of focusing on the road and avoiding distractions such as mobile phones, eating, grooming or using in-car technologies while driving.
The Government, through the TSCZ, is working with Total Energies Zimbabwe in promoting the use of crash helmets.
To date, the project has been rolled out in Nyamapanda, Karoi and Plumtree.
It involves engaging the motorcyclists and communities where the motorcycles are mainly used, and raising awareness on the need to use the same.
The ministry conducts road safety audits and assessments to address the safety of vulnerable road users, to harmonise road signs and signals with regional and international conventions. Replacement of such enhances road safety. These audits also cover road infrastructure and those being rehabilitated.
The VID also periodically undertakes mandatory vehicle inspection for all passenger service vehicles.
As such, before an operator is issued with a licence or permit, they have to prove that the vehicle is roadworthy and fit for the carriage of goods or for the conveyance of passengers.
The TSCZ also offers defensive driver training to professional drivers to impart skills which enable them to recognise and react to immediate and potentially hazardous driving situations and conditions.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the transport sector in Zimbabwe and how is the Government addressing them?
A: Road safety features prominently and it is disturbing to note that on average, five people die on our roads daily due to road crashes.
Traffic accidents can push entire families into poverty through either the loss of a breadwinner or the costs associated with lost income and prolonged medical care.
It is sad to note that 90 percent of road crashes are caused by human error, with speeding and overtaking errors topping as the major causes of road accidents in Zimbabwe.
Whilst road safety is multi-dimensional and requires everyone to play their part, my ministry is committed to achieving the target of reducing road fatalities by 25 percent, as prescribed by NDS1.
This target will be achieved through implementing the above-mentioned sustainable road safety initiatives by addressing the gaps identified in key road safety laws, infrastructure, vehicle standards and access to post-crash care. At a global level, Zimbabwe subscribes to the United Nations General Assembly proclamation of September 2020 on the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
This seeks to mitigate global road safety challenges, noting that the negative impact of road traffic crashes cost our economy approximately 3 percent of gross domestic product.
Q: How do you envision the transport sector in Zimbabwe in the next five years, and what key milestones do you hope to achieve?
A: The ministry’s strategic plan is to continue upgrading and modernising the road transport sector to support domestic and international trade.
This strategic plan resonates with the objectives of our NDS1 to promote and improve an enabling environment for increased trade.
It is important to note that a well-functioning transport infrastructure network is critical in sustaining the country’s economic growth and development.
Zimbabwe is linked regionally by various corridors forming an important regional axis.
It is important to note the central role that the transport sector plays — both hard and soft components — when developing a growth scenario that links Zimbabwe’s economy to regional and international markets.
It is also critical that we provide and maintain high-quality road infrastructure to enhance accessibility to centres of economic, social and recreational importance in rural and urban areas.
To this end, the ministry has completed upgrading the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge road and is now focusing on the Harare-Chirundu road; the Rutenga-Boli-Sango road; the Harare-Nyamapanda road; the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road and the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road, to mention but a few.
Our macroeconomic policy, NDS1, recognises that transport infrastructure and services are key enablers of economic development, and the Second Republic is determined to leapfrog the quality of our infrastructure across the country.
Without reliable, efficient, affordable and dependable infrastructure, our key sectors such as agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and services will not grow.
Consequently, the Government made a strategic decision to modernise and upgrade the country’s border posts starting with the Beitbridge Border Post, then Forbes and Chirundu border posts.
The successful upgrade of this border post has had a far-reaching benefit for trade, tourism and regional integration.
Online Reporter