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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
THE Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) is advocating the enforcement of a statutory instrument which compels heavy and public service vehicles to be fitted with speed limiting devices, as part of measures to ease road carnage. Speed monitoring devices are being exhibited at the TSCZ stand at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show which started on Monday and will be officially opened by President Mnangagwa today.

Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 Section 64 (b) (2) states that; “No person shall drive on any road a passenger public service vehicle or a heavy vehicle unless a speed monitoring or speed limiting device is fitted to the vehicle.” TSCZ’s communication manager Mr Tatenda Chinoda said their mandate included road safety education through training, research and publicity in cooperation with other stakeholders. “The enforcement of the Statutory Instrument means commuter omnibuses, buses and all public service vehicles must have their speed governed,” he said.

“Their vehicles must be installed with speed monitors because as long as the speed governor is there, the driver will never be tempted to go beyond the speed limit, technology will force you to obey.” Mr Chinoda said in other countries like Rwanda, every public service vehicle was fitted with a speed governor.

“We are not saying we want trackers,” he said. “Speed monitors will only track the misdeeds of the drivers which can lead to loss of life. With the speed monitors, no matter how much you press down the accelerator pedal, you will not go beyond the required speed.”  Instead of investing in speed cameras, Mr Chinoda said vehicles will limit their speed on their own. “Speed monitors are not a new phenomenon, but with this new technology, any fleet owner would be in his control room or on the phone monitoring the speed of his drivers,” he said.

“If the driver tempers with the system, the engine stalls.”

Every year, Zimbabwe loses about 2 000 people, while 15 000 are injured due to accidents.