Zimpapers Logo

Midlands Reporter
DRIVERS of public transport vehicles should be a minimum 30 years of age, a public hearing to review the Highway Code was told in Gweru last Friday.
Participants also demanded that the government should reduce roadblocks on the major highways and instead use speed cameras.
“What is contributing to the increase in accidents on our roads is that you find immature and irresponsible drivers below the age of 25 driving public transport vehicles,” a participant told the meeting called by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ).

“We want the new Highway Code to state that drivers’ licenses for Class 4 be given to individuals who are at least 18 years, while public service transport drivers must be at least 30 years old.

“These are mature people who can act responsibly on our roads and help us reduce the carnage.”
A majority of the participants embraced the proposal, but a few took the view that age did not play a big part in how one drives. They argued that what mattered most was one’s experience behind the steering wheel.

Police were acting recklessly at roadblocks, another participant added, while calling on the government to adopt the use of speed and number plate-reading cameras.
“It’s dangerous for the police to just jump into the road after spotting a speeding car.

“Cameras will help bring sanity to our highways as these cannot be bribed,” said the participant from a local driving school.
The TSCZ team was in the Midlands to gather public views on plans to align the country’s traffic laws with those of regional countries.

The meeting came up with a number of other resolutions which were noted for recording as minutes by TSCZ Midlands Regional Manager, Claudius Muzuva.
Most of the participants proposed that road signs be mainly pictorial so that drivers from non-English speaking countries like Angola and Mozambique – whose main language is Portuguese – will not face challenges.

It was also proposed that the country should re-erect the vandalised highway fences to reduce accidents caused by stray animals.
TSCZ spokesperson, Ernest Muchena, said the programme to align the local highway code with that of the Sadc region was meant to make driving easier for cross-border motorists.

“We are trying to align our highway code with those of other countries in the Sadc region so that our road signs and signals would be universal, thereby making driving easier for foreign cross boarder drivers,” said Muchena.

The Friday meeting was attended, among others, by representatives of various driving schools, police officers, and transport managers from various organisations within the Midlands.

Muchena presented a draft of the new Highway Code which the board had drawn up.
He said the draft Highway Code, apart from aligning road rules, signs and regulations with those of other countries in the region, will now have specific rules for pedestrians and animals being driven.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Muchena said the council has held three meetings so far in Harare, Masvingo and Mashonaland Central provinces.
“Our aim is to hear what people want to be incorporated in the new high way code. We want people to have a say in the new Highway Code and the turnout and response has been excellent so far.

“A number of proposals have so far been presented before the review board. We will be in Bulawayo on Wednesday (tomorrow),” he said.
The new Highway Code is expected to be out by the end of this year.