New Highway Code to be unveiled

A new draft of the proposed Highway Code is set to be presented to the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCF) this week.

Enerst Muchena, TSCF spokesperson, told the Daily News that consultants working on the road safety rule book have been given up to the end of the week to prepare the draft for inspection by TSCZ and its partner Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara).

Muchena said the new code will be difficult to counterfeit as it will carry new security features.

"When we see the draft, it shall be presented to the public for scrutiny then sent to the ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development for approval before it can be produced and sold," Muchena said. "New features like a seal similar to the one put on the provisional drivers licence will be on the code so that we can detect who has been illegally producing the document."

He said it will provide broader rules for existing regulations as well as a provision for new regulations unlike the old one still in use.

Among some of the new rules will be those for public service drivers like commuter omnibuses (kombis).

"Since the transport industry is now awash with private owners, it was seen fit to have their own set of rules which they have to adhere to," Muchena said. "Even animal-drawn vehicles now have rules, for example the kind of reflective material and where to put it."

He indicated that TSCZ is the only legal seller of the code and anyone found selling the book will be breaching the law.

Despite the streets being flooded by vendors selling the Highway Code, Muchena highlighted that by buying the plagiarised book, people risk being misinformed about traffic regulations, which carries serious repercussions.