ERRP to reduce road carnage: Min Mhona
GOVERNMENT is working on improving traffic signage and infrastructure on all major roads across the country as a way of reducing the occurrence of accidents on highways, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Honourable Felix Mhona has said.
Speaking on the sidelines of his visit to survivors of the bus crash that killed 38 people in Chimanimani last week on Thursday, Minister Mhona said the ongoing Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) will also focus on civil works targetting the designing and maintenance of identified black spots to ensure efficient travelling and safety of road users.
Minister Mhona handed over food hampers donated by President Mnangagwa to the accident survivors.
“Government has noted with concern the high incidence of accidents on our roads. We are still in mourning after we lost lives in that bus crash in Chimanimani last week and I am here at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital to visit some of the survivors.
“President Mnangagwa sends his condolence message to the bereaved families. The President has also sent me to ensure that the medical requirements of all the survivors admitted in hospital are met in order to speed up their recovery process.
“The state of some of our roads is bad, but we are tirelessly working on improving the infrastructure. This has also necessitated my visit here to Manicaland Province, as I will visit the Chimanimani accident scene and other identified black spots with our engineers for the purpose of assessing where and how we can design or develop better our roads and highways for safe and effective usage,” said Minister Mhona.
Minister Mhona said curbing road carnage is a shared responsibility for all stakeholders, adding that Government departments like the police, the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) and the Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council are stepping up efforts to enforce traffic rules.
Said the Minister: “We have also realised that some of the accidents are a result of human error due to negligence on the part of the drivers.
‘‘Human life is precious and we are imploring the drivers to always exercise extreme caution on the roads and prevent avoidable accidents.
“Speeding and overloading are some of the major causes of the accidents and drivers have to guard against this. To ensure adherence to safe road usage, the police and VID will be out in full force to enforce traffic rules and those found offside will face the music,” said the minister.