leeroy mupariri
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
THE Beitbridge community has appealed to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development and its partners to consider setting up speed humps and tightly enforce road traffic regulations on the 5.1km dual carriageway linking the Beitbridge Border Post and major inland towns including Bulawayo and Harare.
This follows an upsurge in accidents, particularly pedestrians being fatally knocked down by speeding vehicles .
The road upgrading project is part of Government’s bigger plans to transform the border town into a modern city.
It cuts across the town dividing eastern and western suburbs and a week hardly passes without someone being fatally knocked down by a vehicle while crossing to either side of the road.
An average of 1 200 commercial trucks, 200 buses, and 3 000 light vehicles transit through the same road daily in addition to the local vehicular traffic.
Civil works on the 5km stretch were completed early last year with the Government contractor left with a few ancillary works including erecting street lights.
“Speed humps are very necessary on that stretch of the road. Lives have been lost due to speeding. We also request ZRP to reintroduce speed traps. A long term measure will be to have a fly over or an under the road crossing,” said Beitbridge Town Clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola.
A journalist, Miss Patience Moyo, said authorities must urgently look at the plight of the community to avoid the recurrent knocking down of pedestrians by motorists.
“Something must be done on that road where we continue to lose lives. This is a busy road used even by new people. The speed humps or the introduction of speed traps by the police may help save lives,” she said.
A motorist and resident from Dulilvhadzimu suburb, Mr Kudakwashe Chasauka, said accidents on the road had reached alarming levels and a quick solution was required.
He said the use of speed humps in proportional intervals was necessary although there is a need to consider the construction of flyovers in the long run at selected points.
“For now we need more traffic police on the ground to enforce laws while efforts to erect speed humps are pending,” Mr Chasauka said.
Beitbridge East Member of Parliament, Cde Albert Nguluvhe, said: “This is a concern we have been getting from community members and going forward, I will approach the appropriate people and hear their views for corrective measures to be taken. At the same time, we need to continuously educate people on the basic rules of crossing major roads or highways to save lives”.
A resident of Vhembe-view, Mr Ayanda Moyo, said authorities should also consider installing traffic lights at intersections to minimise road accidents along the dual carriageway.
A motorist , Mr Bester Mbedzi, said it was critical for motorists to obey basic rules governing speed limits when approaching human settlements, schools, pedestrian crossing points or business centres.
