Story by Peter Chivhima
THE urgent need for a traffic circle at the Dzivarasekwa Turn-Off, a known high-accident zone along Bulawayo Road, was highlighted on Monday as various Christian denominations gathered at the site.
The gathering took place at the location where eight people tragically lost their lives, and eleven others sustained serious injuries following a collision involving a commuter omnibus, a haulage truck, and a UD truck last week.
The collective initiative sought to raise awareness and explore measures to reduce accidents at the site, which has become notorious for frequent road fatalities.
The Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches Dzivarasekwa Ecumenical Fellowship and Resident Pastor of The Salvation Army Dzivarasekwa Citadel, Major Joseph Nyamuzihwa, has urged the government to construct a traffic circle at the high-accident zone
“Our gathering here is so important but the most critical thing is that the government can assist us by construction of a traffic circle. I think this will go a long way in reducing accidents here. Last year, we lost a member of our church as a result of an accident which occurred here,” he said.
“There is a need for the government to consider the construction of a traffic circle and put warning signs here so that issues of accidents are minimised,” Reverend Munyaradzi Mukorombindo, of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe said.
“Our gathering here as churches is to seek divine intervention from God. We are convinced that our prayers will be heard,” Mrs Laina Kurebwaseka of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe said.
Community members noted the need for enforcement of road rules, as the driver involved in the latest fatal accident did not possess a driver’s licence.
“We are calling for legislators to come up with stricter laws on drivers. Drivers must adhere to the laws so that the issues of accidents are minimised. We understand that there is now a law which prohibits someone who is under the age of 25 from driving a public service vehicle, but there is a need for enforcement,” a concerned citizen said.
“We heard that the driver of the commuter omnibus had no license, this alone calls for the law enforcement agents to be tough on such individuals. We also call for them to be strict on the issue of drug and substance abuse,” another concerned citizen said.
In response to this growing road menace, the government is employing several measures to reduce road carnage on the country’s roads, including launching a nationwide road rehabilitation drive, promoting a comprehensive road safety campaign and introducing new stiffer traffic laws.
