News / National
Govt must modernise road network- senator
11 Jun 2016 at 08:36hrs | Views
Senator Mike Byton Musaka has asked the government to modernise the road infrustructure as a way of curbing road carnage which characterizes the nation of late.
Speaking in parliament Musaka said given the carnage on our roads he thinks that it is prudent that the government comes up with a robust infrastructure programme to modernise railways, roads and airways.
"This will go a long way to alleviate the carnage on our roads," he said.
"The wish and the desire here, which I call upon the Government to embark on, is to ensure that our road, railways and air are modernised. Modernity is the approach here which I want to put across. In modernity, there should the affordability, accessibility, accommodative and comfortable. The case at the present moment, our roads are antiquated and dilapidated."
Musaka said the highways in particular from Beitbridge – Harare – Chirundu, in fact all five major highway need modernisation.
"It has become almost a ritual that nearly every month there is a major road accident and the Government declares a national disaster, this is not pleasing. So many people die, this is all because as I said our roads need revamping. All other modern societies have embarked on highway reconstruction and construction of safer roads accessible and affordable to all like I said. This is not the case with us, the roads are narrow and they are causing so many problems," he said.
"In addition, there should be strict legislation regarding the issuing out of competence driving permits to persons to drive on our roads. Our legislation at the moment regarding the issuing of driving permits are weak to the point that anybody can just drive. In some cases a lot of them have been found to be driving defective cars. The importation of used cars is one the aspect which is also causing a lot of problem on our roads. Some of the imported cars are not road worth they come into the country unchecked without fitness certificates.. There should be strict legislation requiring fitness certificates from the countries where they come from."
He said there should be agreements that any car before it gets into Zimbabwe, it must have a certificate of fitness.
"As it is at the moment there are so many cars driven on our road without having gone through the fitness requirement procedure. Currently, when you drive in any direction in Harare, it is so congested now. May be people and the economy are doing well, one wonders, there are so many cars but a lot of those cars are defective in one way or the other. It is either the brakes are not working or the tyres are defective when they go on the roads. Most of these cars use retreaded old tyres. As i said earlier on, legislation should strengthen to disallow such tyres to be imported into Zimbabwe. We should be a bit stricter to arrest this carnage on our roads. Really it is worrying. We are losing a lot of our loved ones. It does not pay really for us to go to a funeral all the time. Really, something has to be done," he said.
"In this regard, I call upon the Government to establish a road fund. There is ZINARA but ZINARA alone looks like it cannot cope. It must be buttressed by other agents with funding to ensure that the roads are maintained and widened and they are safe. The railways should be modernised to ensure that they are fast, affordable, accommodative and safe."
He said the modernisation of railways would facilitate that three quarters of our traffic both passenger and goods is moved to the railway system.
"It has been done in other countries; you have what you call the magnetic levitation type of railway system like in Japan, England and America. The trains are of such a speed that you move very quickly and they are affordable that people prefer to use them. A distance from Harare to Bulawayo can be undertaken in one and a half hours. This is all as a result of modernisation. The railway system should be geared towards carrying the bulk of the passengers. At the moment we are having lot of problems. It really saddens us because we are losing very skilled people. The population is already low. Something has to be done regarding our roads, railways and air transportation," he said.
"Funding, I know, the majority of my colleagues here, the Hon. Members will say where is the money going to come from. True there maybe the issue of sanctions here but we are being invited year in, year out. Recently, in 2014. There was a delegation that was led by the President of the Senate and I was part of the delegation to Jordan invited by the Parliament Senate of the Arab World. At the seminar, we were informed that the financial institutions in the Arab world have got a lot of money."
He said if we can actually visit them, they are prepared to give us money for infrastructure and agricultural development.
"This way we can by-pass the sanctions. They told us, look, you are our colleagues and if you come, we can give you the money; the money is there, for infrastructure development and agriculture," said the senator.
Speaking in parliament Musaka said given the carnage on our roads he thinks that it is prudent that the government comes up with a robust infrastructure programme to modernise railways, roads and airways.
"This will go a long way to alleviate the carnage on our roads," he said.
"The wish and the desire here, which I call upon the Government to embark on, is to ensure that our road, railways and air are modernised. Modernity is the approach here which I want to put across. In modernity, there should the affordability, accessibility, accommodative and comfortable. The case at the present moment, our roads are antiquated and dilapidated."
Musaka said the highways in particular from Beitbridge – Harare – Chirundu, in fact all five major highway need modernisation.
"It has become almost a ritual that nearly every month there is a major road accident and the Government declares a national disaster, this is not pleasing. So many people die, this is all because as I said our roads need revamping. All other modern societies have embarked on highway reconstruction and construction of safer roads accessible and affordable to all like I said. This is not the case with us, the roads are narrow and they are causing so many problems," he said.
"In addition, there should be strict legislation regarding the issuing out of competence driving permits to persons to drive on our roads. Our legislation at the moment regarding the issuing of driving permits are weak to the point that anybody can just drive. In some cases a lot of them have been found to be driving defective cars. The importation of used cars is one the aspect which is also causing a lot of problem on our roads. Some of the imported cars are not road worth they come into the country unchecked without fitness certificates.. There should be strict legislation requiring fitness certificates from the countries where they come from."
He said there should be agreements that any car before it gets into Zimbabwe, it must have a certificate of fitness.
"As it is at the moment there are so many cars driven on our road without having gone through the fitness requirement procedure. Currently, when you drive in any direction in Harare, it is so congested now. May be people and the economy are doing well, one wonders, there are so many cars but a lot of those cars are defective in one way or the other. It is either the brakes are not working or the tyres are defective when they go on the roads. Most of these cars use retreaded old tyres. As i said earlier on, legislation should strengthen to disallow such tyres to be imported into Zimbabwe. We should be a bit stricter to arrest this carnage on our roads. Really it is worrying. We are losing a lot of our loved ones. It does not pay really for us to go to a funeral all the time. Really, something has to be done," he said.
"In this regard, I call upon the Government to establish a road fund. There is ZINARA but ZINARA alone looks like it cannot cope. It must be buttressed by other agents with funding to ensure that the roads are maintained and widened and they are safe. The railways should be modernised to ensure that they are fast, affordable, accommodative and safe."
He said the modernisation of railways would facilitate that three quarters of our traffic both passenger and goods is moved to the railway system.
"It has been done in other countries; you have what you call the magnetic levitation type of railway system like in Japan, England and America. The trains are of such a speed that you move very quickly and they are affordable that people prefer to use them. A distance from Harare to Bulawayo can be undertaken in one and a half hours. This is all as a result of modernisation. The railway system should be geared towards carrying the bulk of the passengers. At the moment we are having lot of problems. It really saddens us because we are losing very skilled people. The population is already low. Something has to be done regarding our roads, railways and air transportation," he said.
"Funding, I know, the majority of my colleagues here, the Hon. Members will say where is the money going to come from. True there maybe the issue of sanctions here but we are being invited year in, year out. Recently, in 2014. There was a delegation that was led by the President of the Senate and I was part of the delegation to Jordan invited by the Parliament Senate of the Arab World. At the seminar, we were informed that the financial institutions in the Arab world have got a lot of money."
He said if we can actually visit them, they are prepared to give us money for infrastructure and agricultural development.
"This way we can by-pass the sanctions. They told us, look, you are our colleagues and if you come, we can give you the money; the money is there, for infrastructure development and agriculture," said the senator.
Source - Byo24News
