Govt to widen Seke Road, introduce dedicated bus lanes

The Government is moving to widen Seke Road and construct dedicated bus lanes in response to a surge in deadly accidents along the busy highway linking Harare and Chitungwiza.

The announcement follows two major crashes in as many weeks. A fortnight ago, 17 people were killed at Hunyani Bridge when a commuter omnibus collided with a 30-tonne haulage truck. This week, more than 20 passengers were injured when a kombi travelling from Ziko to Harare's central business district burst a front tyre and veered off the road near Chinhamo Service Station. Seven of the injured sustained serious injuries and were admitted to Chitungwiza Central Hospital.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona confirmed the plans in an interview, saying the Seke Road upgrade will prioritise passenger safety and ease congestion.

"What we are doing, we are going to be having a dedicated bus lane and my team is now seized with that," Mhona said. "We are going to be widening the road again, having more lanes that will be an expressway right up to Makoni Section and straight up to Ten Miles."

The Harare–Chitungwiza route is one of the busiest in the country, serving the capital's largest commuter population. Authorities hope the new lanes will separate buses and kombis from other traffic, reducing the risk of high-speed collisions and improving traffic flow.

The project comes amid growing calls for tougher road safety measures and better public transport infrastructure on Zimbabwe's accident-prone highways.