News / National
'Scrap traffic spot fines,' MPs urge govt
28 May 2014 at 08:32hrs | Views
Zanu-PF MP Amos Midzi
A parliamentary committee on Transport has pleaded with government to abolish spot fines saying they are fuelling a rise in road carnage and corruption.
The portfolio committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, in its report on the causes of road carnage, said spot fines by the police were contributing to increased road accidents hence they should go.
"Spot fines and the alleged targets by the police should be abolished, they must be applied to foreigners only," the report read in the national assembly by committee chairperson, Amos Midzi stated.
The committee which drafted the report after receiving oral and written submissions from both the police and commuter operators said police manning road blocks were being given targets by their superiors to meet hence fuelling corruption and negligent driving.
"An offender should be given time to pay the fine. The issue of misinterpretation of Acts by some members of the police so as to corner drivers to pay bribes should be stopped.
"There is need to train traffic police on traffic regulations," he said.
Midzi said there was need to expedite the dualisation of trunk roads, provision of cycle tracks and the marking of pedestrian crossing as a way to combat accidents on the roads.
"Government should give priority to road infrastructure programmes in order to improve safety on the roads."
The committee noted that in 2012, 30 911 accidents were reported causing 2094 deaths while 14 965 people were injured.
In 2013, 37 619 accidents were reported causing 1787 death and 14 13people being injured.
"We have learnt that drivers especially of public service vehicles do not follow driving regulations and lack discipline on the roads. Most drivers are driving negligently without paying attention to other road users," he said.
The parliamentarians also urged vehicle inspectorate department inspectors (VID) and police officers to be regularly transferred in order to reduce corruption.
"In order to reduce corruption, VID inspectors and ZRP traffic officers must periodically be transferred," he said.
Midzi also urged government to increase fines charged for traffic offenses so that they are more deterrent to traffic offenders.
"The increase in fines will deter offenders and the introduction of traffic courts where routine offenders are charged and licenses cancelled.
"Second hand tyres imports must be banned, as a measure of accidents reduction on our roads."
"The removal of unroadworthy vehicles will go a long way in restoring sanity to our roads. Some accidents on our roads are actually a result of defective motor vehicles," he said.
Commuter omnibus operators recently came under fire after a series of kombi accidents that have claimed many lives.
Last week ten commuters died after a Chitungwiza bound commuter omnibus, they were travelling on veered off the road and rammed into a tree at Chinhamo black spot.
The portfolio committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, in its report on the causes of road carnage, said spot fines by the police were contributing to increased road accidents hence they should go.
"Spot fines and the alleged targets by the police should be abolished, they must be applied to foreigners only," the report read in the national assembly by committee chairperson, Amos Midzi stated.
The committee which drafted the report after receiving oral and written submissions from both the police and commuter operators said police manning road blocks were being given targets by their superiors to meet hence fuelling corruption and negligent driving.
"An offender should be given time to pay the fine. The issue of misinterpretation of Acts by some members of the police so as to corner drivers to pay bribes should be stopped.
"There is need to train traffic police on traffic regulations," he said.
Midzi said there was need to expedite the dualisation of trunk roads, provision of cycle tracks and the marking of pedestrian crossing as a way to combat accidents on the roads.
"Government should give priority to road infrastructure programmes in order to improve safety on the roads."
The committee noted that in 2012, 30 911 accidents were reported causing 2094 deaths while 14 965 people were injured.
"We have learnt that drivers especially of public service vehicles do not follow driving regulations and lack discipline on the roads. Most drivers are driving negligently without paying attention to other road users," he said.
The parliamentarians also urged vehicle inspectorate department inspectors (VID) and police officers to be regularly transferred in order to reduce corruption.
"In order to reduce corruption, VID inspectors and ZRP traffic officers must periodically be transferred," he said.
Midzi also urged government to increase fines charged for traffic offenses so that they are more deterrent to traffic offenders.
"The increase in fines will deter offenders and the introduction of traffic courts where routine offenders are charged and licenses cancelled.
"Second hand tyres imports must be banned, as a measure of accidents reduction on our roads."
"The removal of unroadworthy vehicles will go a long way in restoring sanity to our roads. Some accidents on our roads are actually a result of defective motor vehicles," he said.
Commuter omnibus operators recently came under fire after a series of kombi accidents that have claimed many lives.
Last week ten commuters died after a Chitungwiza bound commuter omnibus, they were travelling on veered off the road and rammed into a tree at Chinhamo black spot.
Source - online
