…Over 300 Bus Operators Arrested for Violations
DT Correspondent
At least 368 bus operators have been arrested by police this month alone for various offences including speeding, overloading, floating road regulations and road rage.
The majority of the arrests were made during the festive holidays when a significant number of people were traveling to different destinations.
Bus operators have until tommorow to comply with a recent Government directive mandating all public service vehicles, including buses, to be equipped with speed limiting and monitoring devices.
The speed tracking system, which aligns with Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, restricts the maximum speed of buses to 100km/h on open roads.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said most of the arrests were for bus drivers who were overspeeding.
“In a concerted effort to enforce road regulations and enhance public safety, law enforcement authorities have arrested at least 368 bus operators during this month alone for over speeding across the country.
“Most of the arrests were made during the festive holidays, we continue to urge bus drivers to respect the sanctity of life and their passengers,” he said.
To facilitate effective monitoring, bus operators and police established a dedicated monitoring center at Harare Central Police Station.
The speed tracking center enables authorities to closely monitor the adherence of bus operators to the prescribed speed limits and other road regulations.
Bus operators under the umbrella organization of the Zimbabwe Passengers Transport Organisation (ZPTO) said the innovative speed tracking system has led to a substantial increase in the number of fines issued to bus drivers for speeding.
In an interview with Digital Telegraph, ZPTO chairman Mr Sam Nhanhanga said they are encouraging all bus operators to comply with the directive from Government before the deadline.
“Bus operators are required to comply with this government directive by January 1, ensuring the installation of the necessary speed limiting and monitoring devices in their vehicles.
“…the tracking system has reduced the number of accidents. But we need to do more. We have operators who have not submitted their fleet and tracking numbers. Police must help us to enforce that. With or without tracking system police must enforce the issue of speeding,” he said, adding that they will not hesitate to de-associate with operators who are not complying with prescribed regulations.
TSCZ managing director Mr Munesu Munodawafa urged bus drivers to exercise maximum caution and avoid speeding which often result in head-on collisions.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has since intensified its road safety awareness campaigns intended to educate the public on the need to preserve the sanctity of human life by doing what is right when using the roads.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, let us all preserve life,” he said.
Last week Acting President Dr Constantino Chiwenga said motorists and public transporters should always exercise extra caution on the roads to minimise road traffic accidents, and the police must adopt stringent measures against those caught on the wrong side of the law.
His remarks came in the wake of a horror crash involving a bus, a haulage truck and a Mercedes Benz vehicle that killed five people along the Harare-Mutare highway during the same week.
