THE government should ban public transport operators who overload their vehicles as this is behind the rise in fatal road accidents, Zimbabwe Passengers Association secretary-general Paul Makiwa has said.
In a statement yesterday, Makiwa said there was an urgent need for government intervention to curb road traffic accidents.
Makiwa further criticised the “culture of impunity” in the industry, citing cases where overloaded vehicles, unlicensed drivers and touts are allowed to operate with impunity, despite the catastrophic consequences.
“Our roads have become death traps. Our passengers are dying like flies and those who survive are left with permanent disabilities,” Makiwa said.
“Passengers continue to lose their lives due to the negligence and incompetence of our ministers, who seem to be fast asleep at the wheel.
“Our evidence and results prove that their failure to perform their duties is leading to passenger genocide and permanent disabilities.”
He said the blatant disregard for human life was unacceptable.
“The responsible ministers of Transport and Home Affairs, Felix Mhona and Kazembe Kazembe, must be held accountable for their actions or rather, lack thereof,” he said.
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He said the ministers were turning a blind eye to the mounting transport crisis.
“Our ministers are sleeping on duty. They are comfortable in their cozy offices while the people they’re supposed to serve are dying on the roads,” Makiwa said.
He also condemned rampant corruption in the transport sector, adding that many offenders managed to evade penalties by bribing their way out.
“Our people are being packed like sardines in these overloaded vehicles. What is worse is that there’s no accountability when accidents happen. No one is held responsible,” he said.
Makiwa said government’s failure to maintain and improve road infrastructure had also resulted in increased accidents due to poor road conditions, particularly during the rainy season.
