Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
Zimbabwe, among the countries with high road traffic accidents in Africa, is targeting to reduce the number of road traffic accidents following the recent launch of the Festive Season Road Safety awareness campaign in Manicaland.
The campaign was launched by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Honourable Felix Mhona.
Stakeholders who visited a number of black spots with the Minister before launching the safety campaign are also concerned about the alarming number of road accidents in the province.
Minister Mhona noted the need for collaborative efforts between road users and road authorities to reduce road carnage.
“It is important to educate our people that as we approach the festive season, we need to use our roads with caution. This is important because Zimbabwe is among the countries recording very high road traffic accidents and deaths. The levels of indiscipline on our roads are quite frightening and we need to up the level of our enforcement. I humbly appeal to the Traffic Council and the public to even do more with regards to mitigating road carnage,” Hon Mhona said.
Efforts have been stepped up to establish the Road Accident Fund.
“In other countries, there is a Road Accident Fund. We directed the Traffic Safety Council to conduct research on how best the fund can be established. We will hold public consultations on the issue. We want to establish it as a matter of urgency to complement efforts by insurance companies to assist accident victims,” he added.
Minister Mhona warned those involved in organised crime where drivers’ licences are issued to undeserving people to stop such practices stating that it might be contributing to the high number of road traffic accidents.
