Govt warns motorists

Government will not hesitate to cancel route authorities for public transporters whose employees drive recklessly and cause road accidents, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Speaking ahead of the festive season, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo, said concerted efforts were needed in reducing road carnage.

"As a nation, Zimbabwe is committed to the United Nations declared Decade of Action for Road Safety, which envisages a reduction in road traffic deaths by 50 percent by 2020 and it is not in our interests for these tragedies to continue, so we must all unite and end these accidents," he said.

"I believe that as a country, we can reduce road deaths by 50 percent or even better if we all play a part."

He said public transport operators should comply with the law after being given an operator's licence and route authority.

"Public transport operators are strongly urged to desist from the habit of over-working their drivers resulting in fatigue, non-adherence to timetables and overloading of buses is strictly prohibited," Minister Gumbo said.

He also urged drivers to stick to the regulated speed limits as speeding had been found to be one of the major causes of fatal accidents.

"My ministry will not hesitate to cancel route authorities for those operators whose drivers are constantly caught on the wrong side of the traffic laws and disregard the sanctity of the human life," Minister Gumbo said.

He said in order to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage due to road crashes this festive season and beyond, travellers should exercise caution and restraint whenever using the road.

The Minister said all road users were discouraged from using cellphones while driving, walking along or crossing the road.

He encouraged the public to make this Christmas and New Year's holidays accident free by exercising extreme caution on the road and adhere to all the traffic laws.