Animal-related road accidents on rise

THERE has been a sharp rise in the number of fatal road accidents involving animals countrywide although some still go widely unreported especially when there are no fatalities.

In the past, bad roads and speeding were blamed for most road accidents, but livestock - especially cattle and donkeys - have become the cause of most road carnages in the Matabeleland region.

Just last Saturday, six people were killed and dozens injured when a Pathfinder bus hit a cow and then collided head-on with a haulage truck in Shangani on the Bulawayo-Gweru Highway.

The place has become a black spot with local residents saying nine accidents involving stray cattle have occurred this year.

These nine only include accidents that had fatalities, otherwise many others went unreported or were not witnessed as they mostly occur went in the dead of night.

Southern Eye went to the streets and spoke to public transport drivers about problems they face on the country's roads which have seen a sharp rise in road carnages.

Most drivers blamed accidents on human error, inexperience, speeding and animals which stray onto the unfenced roads.

"Accidents can be caused by many things. Firstly, there is the issue of animals, especially livestock, which strays onto our roads.

"Our roads are open to anything and they have been turned into kraals with cattle, donkeys and goats freely roaming.

"Secondly, most of vehicles are also not being serviced regularly," a driver who plies the Matopo route said.

A driver who plies the Bulawayo-Harare Road pleaded with the government to fence off the roads and for transport operators to regularly service their vehicles.

"There are many plots and settlements close to the road on that route, particularly between Ntabazinduna and Shangani.

This is where you find a large concentration of cattle and donkeys grazing along the road with no head person in sight, and in such scenarios, the animal can dart into the road at any moment instantly causing an accident," the driver said.

Another driver who operates on the Bulawayo-Masvingo route said some accidents should also be blamed on passengers who rush drivers urging them to speed.

"Police roadblocks are too many so we end up being frustrated. They will delay you and passengers on the other hand would be accusing you of delaying them.

"Hence, we end up over-speeding to compensate for lost time and in the process anything can happen.

"Roadblocks should be reduced because the cops there are just after money and nothing else as they don't bother checking the roadworthiness of vehicles.

"To the police, money is more important than people's lives," the driver said.

The drivers also encouraged motorists to ensure they are licenced to drive the category vehicles they would be driving on the road because it was also a contributing factor to the increasing number of accidents.

They accused unlicensed and inexperienced drivers of choosing to drive in the dead of night to avoid the police and in view of this increase in night-time traffic, accidents involving livestock would almost be inevitable.

The drivers want vehicles to be properly inspected instead of random fines police manning roadblocks prefer against for public transport vehicles.