SYDNEY MUBAIWA
HARARE- Kwekwe MP Tsitsi Zhou has urged government to ban pirate taxis (mushikashika) around the country to curb road traffic accidents.
Zou raised the motion in Parliament this week emphasising the grave dangers caused by the illegal transport operators which have dominated the country’s roads.
She said the unregulated vehicles flout passenger capacity limits by exceeding their designed safety limits, risking the lives of innocent commuters.
“These unregulated vehicles routinely flout passenger capacity limits, with compact cars like Honda Fits carrying up to eleven passengers far exceeding their designed safety limits,” she said.
She said the illegal transport operators have created a serious transport problem in the country, calling for government’s urgent intervention.
She also highlighted how the pirate taxis have contributed towards the country’s road traffic accident statistics.
“The mushrooming of these illegal operators has created a transportation crisis that demands immediate government intervention,” she said.
Zhou requested Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona to issue a statement outlining the current measures being implemented by the government to combat road traffic accidents.
The appeal comes amid growing public concern on transportation safety standards and the need for stricter enforcement of existing traffic laws.
The clarion call also comes at a time when Masvingo Member of Parliament Naledi Maunganidze also urged the government to prioritise the use of breatharlysers by police at roadblocks to curb drinking and driving.
Last year, 2 015 people died in road traffic accidents with some of these causes including over speeding , drinking and driving among others.
