Road users encouraged to exercise caution during festive season

Fellow Citizens, The festive season is upon us! Unity Day is on Friday, 22 December 2023, Christmas falls on Monday, 25 December 2023 and New Year is on Monday, 1 January 2024.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, HONOURABLE F. T. MHONA (MP) URGING MOTORISTS AND ALL ROAD USERS TO EXERCISE CAUTION DURING THE YEAR 2023/2024 FESTIVE SEASON

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I wish to thank all Zimbabweans and visitors to our country during the year 2023 for heeding our call to observe rules and regulations on our roads throughout the year. However, the year 2023 was not without unfortunate incidences on our roads.

Let me express our deep-seated condolences to the families of the deceased and those who got injured in road accidents during the year 2023.

While we have taken time as a Government to commiserate with the families of the deceased and those who got injured during the year, we continue to embolden the deceased families to remain strong during the difficult period of grief.

We however need to take stock of what happened in the year 2023 and avoid a replica of such unpleasant statistics in 2024.

The festive season is characterised by high levels of mobility. Our beloved compatriots from the neighbouring countries will be traversing the motherland, in and out of our borders.

The season is also associated with excessive excitement, as we celebrate the gift of life. Road traffic densities increase at a time when the rainy season is at its peak.

It is during this period that we witness an increase in road traffic deaths and injuries that are way above average.

This is so because of increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic. All these factors increase incidences of fatalities on our roads.

As we travel on our roads, let us avoid the following transgressions among others:

Overspeeding: remember that speed thrills but it kills; Overloading: Disregarding Road signs; multi-tasking, such as drinking or chatting on the cellphone whilst driving; and Driving under the influence of alcohol;

Driving vehicles with defects and worn-out tyres: Driving vehicles fitted with illegal additional headlights; Road rage, Attempting to go past flooded rivers and bridges even with an empty bus; Driving public service vehicles [Those with licenses to transport members of the public] without valid certificates of fitness and other requirements such as valid route authority in terms of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13: 15] and prescriptions of the Road Traffic Act [Chapter 13:11]

My Ministry shall deploy multi-stakeholder teams comprising the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, ZRP and VID officials for a full-fledged awareness campaign on road safety.

Enforcement agencies are urged to arrest all transgressors of road traffic laws and refer them for prosecution without fear or favour.

May I remind all transporters who violate Traffic laws that relevant authorities will be ready to enforce the law and if need be, withdraw their operators’ licenses in terms of the law.

We are in the rainy season. Rains can reduce visibility, make our roads slippery and year in, and year out, we have heard of vehicles being swept away by flooded rivers.

We must not attempt to go through flooded rivers and bridges. Let us all take responsibility for our lives and those of others.

We have also observed worrisome behaviour on our roads where when rain commences, drivers start disregarding road rules.

In urban centres, for instance, transgressions such as additional lanes, road jams at intersections, disregarding traffic lights and driving towards on-coming traffic, and creating human-induced gridlocks, are rampant. Let us guard against such tendencies!

As you may be aware, the Government is implementing the ongoing Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 in terms of 51 47 of 2021. As you drive, you will witness several detours along our roads including highways. Kindly drive carefully along the detours, as some may be slippery due to rain. Further, observe instructions by those waving flags.

My Ministry made legislative interventions, in the form of Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, on Speed Limiting and Monitoring Devices Regulations.

I, therefore, call upon all stakeholders, the TSCZ, VID, RMT, Enforcement Agencies, Operators, Operators’ Associations and all relevant players to ensure successful implementation of the regulations and adherence to the timelines set therein.