Ministry of Transport to educate public on road signs

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development will soon embark on awareness campaigns to educate motorists on the new road signs, common to all SADC states, that are being erected on all roads.

The new changes are in line with the Sadc Protocol of Transport, Communication and Meteorology of 1999.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Dr Joram Gumbo revealed this in the National Assembly last week while responding to questions from MDC-T MP for Harare West Ms Jessie Majome.

She sought to know what statutory instrument was used for "the strange new traffic signs such as white triangles with black borders, hexagonal, red stop signs and road markings such as continuous yellow lines at the shoulders of roads that are being marked mainly at toll gates and to state when it was promulgated into law"

He also wanted Dr Gumbo to confirm whether this is promulgated in terms of Section 39 (2) of the Roads Traffic Act.

Ms Majome further asked Minister Gumbo to explain what the ministry was doing to avert the confusion arising from such signs.

"Zimbabwe is a signatory to the SADC Protocol of Transport, Communication and Meteorology of 1999. Article 6 (11) of the Protocol states that: Member states shall co-operate in harmonising traffic operations management and for this purpose, member states shall take steps to adopt and implement harmonised and minimum standards in respect of:-

"Traffic signs including traffic signals, road signs and markings; rules of the road; speed limits appropriate to road design; driving signals; and driving hours.

"Member states shall develop, adopt and implement a harmonised system of road traffic signs; and for the purposes of developing harmonised rules of the road, member states shall consider accession to the UN Conventions on Road Traffic of 1949 and 1968," said Dr Gumbo.

He said his ministry started implementing the provisions since 2001 with the new signs gazetted under Statutory Instrument 41 of 2016, Road Traffic Signs and Signal Regulations.

Dr Gumbo said the ministry decided to put new signs on roads that were being constructed, rehabilitated or refurbished in line with the Sadc approved signs such as the Plumtree-Harare-Mutare Highway though the regulations had not yet been gazetted.

"However, now that gazetting has been done, the ministry will embark on an awareness campaigns to educate the public on the new signs and their country-wide installation.

"This, in our view, will avert any confusion arising from the new signs, particularly on the part of learner and old drivers. The issue of enforcement has therefore fallen away because of the existence of this legislation.

"In addition, we have already started the campaign to educate members and even now to start teaching our new drivers using the new signs," said Minister Gumbo.

But Ms Majome said police were already lying in ambush on roads where there were new signs in order to fine motorists who were ignorant of the new road signs.

Responded Minister Gumbo: "We have heard reports of such incidences. It is even the same with the use of different tyres on a vehicles but it only shows that at times, dissemination of information to those who are supposed to be enforcing, is not well coordinated.

"That could be a problem that we have to address in Government but I cannot deny the fact that this is what has been happening. Like I have already said, we are now on a drive to educate the public. The public will also include ZRP so that they can understand the new signs and how to deal with situations when they arise."