Runesu Gwidi Masvingo Correspondent
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has urged farmers living along the country’s major roads to put reflective ear tags on livestock to curb road carnage. Road traffic accidents increased by 10 percent last year compared to 2016, according to a report.
In an interview with The Herald, TSCZ communications officer Mr Tatenda Chinoda said they had intensified the campaign to educate farmers about road traffic safety.
“The TSCZ recorded a total of 42 430 accidents for 2017, compared to a total of 38 620 recorded the previous year,” he said.
“This translates to a 10 percent increase in road carnage. We have, therefore, decided to intensify the educational campaign to ensure all the farmers along our major highways put yellow reflective ear tags on their herds. This helps in the easy identification of animals by motorists when they stray onto our roads.
“TSCZ has since discovered that many of the accidents on the highways are caused by donkeys and cattle from farms and settlements along the highways.”
He said TSCZ’s priority for the past few months was on the Bulawayo-Plumtree Highway, where vehicle-animal collision cases were prevalent. Mr Chinoda said the TSCZ rolled out a programme to refence the highways. He said Government last year channelled $500 000 for the refencing programme.
“As TSCZ, we request the Parliamentary Portfolio for Transport and Infrastructural Development to lobby Government for more funding towards the rehabilitation of our roads to minimise road accidents,” he said.