News / National
Police, Traffic Safety Council on Easter road safety campaign
20 Mar 2016 at 09:24hrs | Views
THE Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), in collaboration with Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) will from tomorrow embark on road safety campaigns around the country aimed at reducing road carnage this Easter.
The Easter Holiday starts on Friday and ends on Monday next week and is usually associated with long distance journeys mainly by congregants attending various church gatherings. TSCZ spokesperson Mr Ernest Muchena told Sunday News that the campaigns were aimed at informing drivers to abide by the traffic regulations and also to educate the commuting public on their right to tell a public transport driver to abide by traffic rules. He said 14 teams will be deployed in different parts of the country for the 10-day campaign which will also cover the closing of schools. Schools close on Wednesday.
The teams will be deployed in Rusape, Murambinda, Rutenga, Gwanda Lupane, Shangani, Kwekwe-Gokwe road, Kadoma, Spring Valley, Harare Chirundu road, Kotwa, Harare-Nyamapanda Road, Chaka Business Centre, and Harare central business district.
"The teams will leave their stations on Sunday (today) and will start work on Monday. They will be stationed at rest zones along the roads where drivers can pull off the road and talk to our teams while they also rest. We encourage drivers to rest after every two hours or after travelling 200 kilometres to deal with fatigue. We are also discouraging night driving because of limited visibility which makes it difficult to avoid accidents," said Mr Muchena.
Meanwhile, national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said police will increase their presence on the country's highway and roads during Easter to ensure that traffic regulations are adhered to. She urged public transport operators to ensure their vehicles are road worthy, avoid overworking their drivers and overloading their vehicles, factors she said often lead to accidents.
"We are saying no to speeding, drivers must observe specified speed limits on the roads. We encourage public transport operators not to overwork their drivers. Overworked and fatigued drivers are dangerous on the roads. During these holidays we will increase the number of roadblocks on Highways and roads to monitor the behaviour of motorists. People tend to speed and roadblocks will assist in keeping such tendencies in check," she said.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba also reminded travellers who use public transport that it was their right to tell public transport drivers to abide by traffic regulations.
"It is raining these days and some rivers may be flooded. We urge motorists not to cross flooded rivers. If you can't see the bridge and it's covered by water, wait until the river subsides before you can cross. We are appealing to all drivers to be responsible and exercise caution on the roads," she said.
Last year 10 people died in road traffic accidents during the Easter holiday compared to 19 who lost their lives over the same period in 2014, marking a 90 percent decrease in road traffic fatalities.
The Easter Holiday starts on Friday and ends on Monday next week and is usually associated with long distance journeys mainly by congregants attending various church gatherings. TSCZ spokesperson Mr Ernest Muchena told Sunday News that the campaigns were aimed at informing drivers to abide by the traffic regulations and also to educate the commuting public on their right to tell a public transport driver to abide by traffic rules. He said 14 teams will be deployed in different parts of the country for the 10-day campaign which will also cover the closing of schools. Schools close on Wednesday.
The teams will be deployed in Rusape, Murambinda, Rutenga, Gwanda Lupane, Shangani, Kwekwe-Gokwe road, Kadoma, Spring Valley, Harare Chirundu road, Kotwa, Harare-Nyamapanda Road, Chaka Business Centre, and Harare central business district.
"The teams will leave their stations on Sunday (today) and will start work on Monday. They will be stationed at rest zones along the roads where drivers can pull off the road and talk to our teams while they also rest. We encourage drivers to rest after every two hours or after travelling 200 kilometres to deal with fatigue. We are also discouraging night driving because of limited visibility which makes it difficult to avoid accidents," said Mr Muchena.
"We are saying no to speeding, drivers must observe specified speed limits on the roads. We encourage public transport operators not to overwork their drivers. Overworked and fatigued drivers are dangerous on the roads. During these holidays we will increase the number of roadblocks on Highways and roads to monitor the behaviour of motorists. People tend to speed and roadblocks will assist in keeping such tendencies in check," she said.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba also reminded travellers who use public transport that it was their right to tell public transport drivers to abide by traffic regulations.
"It is raining these days and some rivers may be flooded. We urge motorists not to cross flooded rivers. If you can't see the bridge and it's covered by water, wait until the river subsides before you can cross. We are appealing to all drivers to be responsible and exercise caution on the roads," she said.
Last year 10 people died in road traffic accidents during the Easter holiday compared to 19 who lost their lives over the same period in 2014, marking a 90 percent decrease in road traffic fatalities.
Source - sundaynews
