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It is that time of the year when workers join their families to enjoy Christmas and New Year festivities. Many of the workers have already left for their rural homes while others are leaving today or tomorrow to be with their families and relatives.

Some Zimbabweans working in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia are already in the country while others will be arriving today or tomorrow to be with their families.

A number of families will also take the opportunity to enjoy Zimbabwe’s hospitality at the different tourist destinations across the country. There is therefore a lot of excitement as individuals look forward to meeting their loved ones, some after a long time.

Those working in neighbouring countries usually return home once or twice a year while others are only able to come home after a couple of years hence the excitement. The country’s borders such as Beitbridge which is one of the busiest ports of entry in Sadc is already witnessing an influx of travellers who are mostly Zimbabweans working in SA returning home for the holidays.

Many companies closed yesterday ahead of Unity Day today and Christmas holidays. There has been a tendency over the years to wait until the Eve of Christmas to travel. Those travelling with children should travel early to avoid jostling for seats in buses on Christmas Eve.

Motorists should give themselves adequate time to travel to avoid speeding. It should not be left to police to ensure only roadworthy vehicles are on the road but it should be incumbent upon each and every motorist to ensure his or her vehicle is in sound condition.

The safety of the travellers should always come first and what this entails is that only roadworthy buses and private cars should be allowed on the roads. It is the responsibility of public transport operators to ensure their buses are roadworthy and that drivers are not overworked.

Most of the bus accidents are caused by fatigue as drivers are sometimes forced to make several trips because of the high demand for transport. Bus crews should also avoid overloading buses as this puts the lives of passengers at risk. Those driving private cars should avoid drinking and driving as this contributes to accidents.

Statistics have shown that more than 80 percent of road traffic accidents in Zimbabwe are due to human error which means they can be avoided. The police as usual have said they will be out in full force manning roadblocks on major highways to regulate traffic.

We want to implore the police to ensure no motorist bribes his or her way through these roadblocks. Those who decide to drink and driver should be detained until they are sober. We want at this juncture to implore all drivers to strive to make this Christmas an accident free holiday.