The Government of Zimbabwe’s latest move to tackle road accidents has been met with skepticism, with many questioning the effectiveness of its initiatives.
Minister of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, announced the government’s plans to enhance traffic management and road safety during a Post Cabinet Briefing in Harare on Tuesday.
According to Dr. Muswere, the government will focus on capacitating the police, resourcing the vehicle inspection department, and standardizing driver training.
“The government is implementing various initiatives, including capacitating the police to effectively enforce traffic regulations, resourcing the vehicle inspection department, standardizing driver training, and utilizing traffic cameras for monitoring,” Dr.
Muswere said.
However, critics argue that these measures are long overdue and lack concrete implementation plans. The government’s commitment to improving road safety is questionable, given the poor state of the country’s roads and the lack of adequate infrastructure.
Moreover, targeting “wayward drivers” seems like a narrow approach, ignoring broader issues such as inadequate road maintenance, insufficient public transport, and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
The government’s legislative amendments, touted as a key component of its road safety drive, may only serve to further burden drivers with more regulations without addressing the root causes of accidents.
By paying lip service to road safety, the government may be attempting to deflect attention from its own failures in maintaining safe roads and enforcing traffic laws.
Until the government takes a more comprehensive approach to addressing road safety, its initiatives will remain mere rhetoric. The lives lost on Zimbabwe’s roads demand more than just empty promises.
Source: Zimeye
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