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Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter

Government is in the process of revising certain pieces of legislation on rules and regulations to come up with stiffer penalties for motorists who cause fatal road traffic accidents as a result of negligent driving and human error.

The developments come after several people have been killed while others injured in road traffic accidents recorded countrywide.

Most accidents have been attributed to negligent driving, human error and speeding.

Speaking during the United Nations Road Safety Week in Harare, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona confirmed that by next month government would have finalised revising the legislation.

“Road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with around 1.3 million people killed, and as many as 50 million people injured each year. For people aged between five and 29 years, there is no greater threat to their lives.

Globally, one in every four deaths occurs among pedestrians and cyclists. Owing to the foregoing shocking statistics, the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 reflects an ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by 2030.

“It highlights that they can be prevented by addressing the whole of the transport system, taking action to ensure safe roads, vehicles and behaviours as well as improving emergency care. This also includes safety issues on rail crossings. That is why today we have NRZ and Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe working together towards one goal of reducing accidents and incidences at points where railway lines cross our roads,” he said.

He said safety must be at the core of efforts to reimagine mobility as this puts road and rail safety at the core for all road users.

“Thus, road and rail networks must be designed with the most at risk in mind: children, adolescents, persons with disabilities, pedestrians, cyclists, and users of public transport. As Government, we fully support the UN in our effort to make our societies free from the effects of road crashes, including at rail crossings. In Zimbabwe, we lose an average of 5 people per day to road crashes. That surely is cause for alarm!,” Minister Mhona said.

He said the United Nations General Assembly mandates the World Health Organisation and the UN regional commissions to plan and host periodic UN Global Road Safety Weeks.

He said the World Health Organisation, in collaboration with partners, organises periodic UN Global Road Safety Weeks.

“This 7th edition focuses on sustainable transport, in particular the need to shift to walking, cycling and using public transport. Road safety is both a prerequisite for and an outcome of this shift. It is from this background that our Ministry takes part in these commemorations, as it coincides with our efforts towards the promotion of road safety in our country. This year’s 7th UN Global Road Safety Week takes place from the 15 to 21 May 2023 and is running under the theme “Sustainable Transport” #RethinkMobility. The week was first marked in 2007,” he said.

Minister Mhona said as a country, they have this year decided to raise awareness about road safety and crash prevention and promote measures to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities on their roads.

He said this was in line with their national target under the National Development Strategy 1, that is; to reduce road crashes, injuries, and fatalities by 25 percent by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030.

“Road crashes are a major public health and safety concern in Zimbabwe, and Road Safety Week is an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of safe driving and the need to follow traffic rules and regulations,” he said.

The minister said railway Level Crossing (LC) crashes can occur when road users violate traffic safety rules and when there are non-deliberate road user mistakes.

He also said the NRZ’s safety record had become vulnerable or susceptible due to transportation of hazardous/dangerous materials, vandalism for copper cables, signals and communication equipment, rail communication equipment, and communication mast equipment, among other critical rail ensemble.

“Incidents of derailments, crashes and rail-road level crossing accidents have been experienced over the years, thus endangering the country’s economic lifeline, life, and limb as well.

“While my Ministry, through the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, together with the National Railways of Zimbabwe, has broad campaign strategies in place such as rail/road level crossing awareness; illegal gold panning along the railway line; stone-throwing at moving trains; vandalism and theft of rail signals and communication equipment; and safety on and around the railway line, there is need to intensify the Railway safety awareness campaign with the involvement of the media and other stakeholders. It is in this vein that I call upon media and other partners to stand and be counted in this endeavour,” Minister Mhona said.

He said the incidents relating to road-rail level crossing have been on the increase since January 2022.

“The death rate has been 80 percent occurring during the first six months of the year 2022. These road crashes occur mostly during the mid-month days, sadly, with commuter trains being the most involved in these crashes. They are most prevalent in the early hours of the morning.

“The number of cases of motorists and pedestrians being hit by trains is a serious challenge to our country. Equally worrying is that the country continues to record an increase in the number of vehicles being hit by trains. Despite the numerous efforts to raise awareness, the cases continue to happen,” he said.

Minister Mhona appealed to operators and drivers of both private vehicles and public service vehicles, to adhere to basic safety issues like the use of safety belts, roadworthiness of vehicles, avoiding fatigue driving, shunning drunk driving, promoting pedestrian safety and avoiding all forms of dangerous driving such as speeding, hit and run and overloading.

“Yes, work has started to further strengthen the legislation on road rules but in the end, we still bank on operators and drivers for compliance.

“It is also crucial to note that road safety is our collective responsibility. Our public infrastructures such as roads and railways lines are shared spaces. Pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers need to be alert at all times when they use the infrastructure.

It is time we raise the bar in our fight to arrest road carnage,” Minister Mhona said.

He said TSCZ has procured paint for the renewal of signage, road regulatory signs and danger warning signs for all rail-road level crossing sites in Zimbabwe.