News / National
Govt urged to ban night driving
09 Jun 2017 at 08:21hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Cross-Border Traders Association (ZCBTA) has urged Government to ban public transporters from travelling during the night following a series of fatal accidents involving cross-border buses in recent months.
The latest accident involving such buses occurred on Wednesday night, which claimed 43 people when a Lion King bus veered off the road in the Nyamakate area in Mashonaland West province and hit a tree.
Another fatal accident involving a cross-border transporter occurred in April when a Proliner bus was side-swiped by a haulage truck, killing at least 31 people along the Harare-Masvingo Highway, near Chaka Business Centre.
ZCBTA president Dr Killer Zivhu said in a statement yesterday that his association would consider seeking a court interdict to ensure buses were banned from the roads as from 9pm, if Government did not act.
He said most of the people being killed in such accidents were members of his association travelling to neighbouring countries.
"The most noble thing to do is for Government to ban buses and other public transporters from travelling after 9pm until everyone is satisfied that our roads are safe for night travel," he said.
"If Government does not ban the operators from travelling at such hours, we will approach the courts seeking an interdict. Our members are the ones being mostly affected and the trend shows that such fatal accidents occur mainly during the night.
"It is not useful to continue watching such recklessness, while we lose breadwinners for so many families, who will be trying to eke out a living through cross-border trading."
Dr Zivhu said it was disheartening that most of the bus operators did not have insurance for the travellers and did not help with hospital fees in such circumstances.
He said there was need for stringent measures to safeguard lives, while Government was working on the dualisation and rehabilitation of the major roads.
"We cannot continue to lose lives of our members in such a way," said Dr Zivhu.
"Every road leading to our borders is not safe for travelling at night at the moment.
"The most logical thing is to stop night travel by these buses, which are always overloaded, with some of the operators choosing to travel during the night to avoid the police because their vehicles have faults."
In the past, there were calls for Government to cancel operating licences for buses operators involved in such fatal accidents.
In 2009, Government cancelled the licence for Mhunga Bus Company, whose vehicles had been involved in two fatal accidents within three months, claiming at least 70 people.
The accidents involving the bus operator occurred at night along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, resulting in the deaths of mostly cross-border traders.
Statistics show that almost 350 people died in the last eight months due to road accidents throughout the country, while thousands others were injured.
Most of the accidents have been occurring along roads leading to the country's borders.
The latest accident involving such buses occurred on Wednesday night, which claimed 43 people when a Lion King bus veered off the road in the Nyamakate area in Mashonaland West province and hit a tree.
Another fatal accident involving a cross-border transporter occurred in April when a Proliner bus was side-swiped by a haulage truck, killing at least 31 people along the Harare-Masvingo Highway, near Chaka Business Centre.
ZCBTA president Dr Killer Zivhu said in a statement yesterday that his association would consider seeking a court interdict to ensure buses were banned from the roads as from 9pm, if Government did not act.
He said most of the people being killed in such accidents were members of his association travelling to neighbouring countries.
"The most noble thing to do is for Government to ban buses and other public transporters from travelling after 9pm until everyone is satisfied that our roads are safe for night travel," he said.
"If Government does not ban the operators from travelling at such hours, we will approach the courts seeking an interdict. Our members are the ones being mostly affected and the trend shows that such fatal accidents occur mainly during the night.
"It is not useful to continue watching such recklessness, while we lose breadwinners for so many families, who will be trying to eke out a living through cross-border trading."
Dr Zivhu said it was disheartening that most of the bus operators did not have insurance for the travellers and did not help with hospital fees in such circumstances.
"We cannot continue to lose lives of our members in such a way," said Dr Zivhu.
"Every road leading to our borders is not safe for travelling at night at the moment.
"The most logical thing is to stop night travel by these buses, which are always overloaded, with some of the operators choosing to travel during the night to avoid the police because their vehicles have faults."
In the past, there were calls for Government to cancel operating licences for buses operators involved in such fatal accidents.
In 2009, Government cancelled the licence for Mhunga Bus Company, whose vehicles had been involved in two fatal accidents within three months, claiming at least 70 people.
The accidents involving the bus operator occurred at night along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, resulting in the deaths of mostly cross-border traders.
Statistics show that almost 350 people died in the last eight months due to road accidents throughout the country, while thousands others were injured.
Most of the accidents have been occurring along roads leading to the country's borders.
Source - the herald
