Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) last week conducted a pedestrian crossing points campaign and repainting programme in Bulawayo aimed at improving road safety around schools and protecting vulnerable road users.
The initiative comes amid growing concern over the increasing number of pedestrians being killed or injured in hit-and-run accidents across the country.
The Government recently urged motorists to exercise greater caution when approaching pedestrian crossing points and has acquired specialised equipment to repaint zebra crossings nationwide as part of efforts to reduce road traffic fatalities.
According to police statistics, 2 081 pedestrians were killed or injured in hit-and-run accidents between January and March this year, up from 1 905 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Schoolchildren, pedestrians crossing traffic-controlled intersections, as well as people walking along roadsides and pavements, account for the majority of victims.
The increase in casualties has prompted authorities to intensify road safety interventions, including the refurbishment and repainting of pedestrian crossing points across the country’s 10 provinces. In Bulawayo, the campaign focused on schools and high pedestrian traffic areas, where road markings were refreshed to improve visibility for motorists and enhance pedestrian safety.
The programme involved the marking and rehabilitation of pedestrian crossing lines near schools to promote safer road user behaviour and provide secure crossing points for learners and other members of the public.
Authorities said clear and visible road markings play a critical role in reducing accidents by alerting motorists to pedestrian zones and encouraging compliance with traffic regulations.
The nationwide initiative forms part of broader efforts to improve road safety infrastructure and reduce the number of pedestrian-related accidents on Zimbabwe’s roads.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona recently launched the initiative to repaint pedestrian crossing points.
In an interview, Minister Mhona said the Government would continue prioritising safety by curbing road traffic accidents across the country.
“What we have done here is to make sure that we address issues of safety,” he said. “Working closely with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe and Zinara, we have procured paint to attend to all our pedestrian crossings and also continue to mark our roads in all ten provinces. Above that, we have also procured road marking machines for the 10 provinces.
“We want to move with speed and also continue educating our people that we cannot just cross willy-nilly on a road. There are designated points where you are supposed to be crossing, and this is one of the examples we have demonstrated — that we need to cross on a zebra crossing or designated crossing points.”
