AS Zimbabwe’s engagement and re-engagement efforts continue to bear fruit, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona recently met with the United Nations Special Advisor on Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, on the sidelines of the ongoing meeting of the 85th Inland Transport Committee in Geneva where they discussed practical ways of sharing and adopting international good practices and standards on road safety.
The two also discussed various topics, principally measures to strengthen their institutional capacity and review policy and legislative frameworks for effective road traffic management and regulation for secure and safe roads.
Mr Todt is a world renowned former rally driver and former chief executive of Formula One team, Ferrari.
Thereafter, he was appointed as Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, where he has distinguished himself over the years.
The bilateral meeting is also said to have focused on the technical assistance being extended to Zimbabwe to improve various aspects of road safety.
Minister Mhona reiterated Zimbabwe’s commitment to co-operation under the United Nations system, and to the adoption of international good practices and standards on road safety.
“It is an honour and privilege to meet you (Mr Todt) on the occasion of this bilateral engagement. Exactly one year ago, we met here in Geneva at the occasion of the 75th Anniversary and 84th Session of the Inland Transport Committee.
“We discussed various topics, principally measures to strengthen our institutional capacity and review our policy and legislative frameworks for effective road traffic management and regulation for secure and safe roads,” he said.
The Minister said the issue of road safety became a very topical issue in Zimbabwe in 2022 than ever witnessed before.
“Indications are that in the year 2022, the average number of crashes per month was 4 259 and the average number of people dying as a result of road crashes was at 172 per month.
“These disturbing statistics translate to the fact that in the year 2022 alone, some 2 064 people lost their lives due to road crashes.
“This is a tragedy that could have been avoided. We have thus programmed ourselves to work harder to reverse the tide and preserve human lives on our roads,” Minister Mhona said.
He acknowledged the fruitfulness of their previous meeting and how it strengthened their resolve to formulate robust legal, policy and administrative mechanisms to transform and revolutionise the road traffic safety management regime in Zimbabwe.
Minister Mhona said since their last meeting, they have worked hard to influence policy at the highest-level pertaining to the road safety sector.
“We are currently reviewing our policies and laws with a view to strengthening the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe into a lead Road Traffic Management Agency, with the powers to enforce road traffic safety management through coordination and robust regulation of the road traffic actors.
“This effort has found profound expression in our 2023 budget which speaks volumes of the commitment of Government at the highest level to mainstream road traffic safety in its programming. This has given us impetus to align ourselves with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.6 on halving the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes; and SDG target 11.2 on providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems as well as improve road safety for all,” Minister Mhona said.
He said the legislative reform is also covering issues related to registration and monitoring of driving schools, introduction of the penalty point system for drivers who flout road rules, unveiling of the corporate veil in a manner that will allow owners of public service vehicles who authorise, or turn blind eye to drivers who do not meet the minimum driving pre-requisites for that grade.
On the adoption of International Standards and Accession of United Nations Conventions on Road Traffic, the Minister said they were in the process of acceding to the UN Road Safety Conventions which they were not yet party to.
“My Ministry is spearheading a process for their accession and domestication. We have targeted to accede to the following Conventions: 1. The 1957 Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Good (ADR); The 1958 Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be Used on Wheeled Vehicles and the Conditions for Reciprocal Recognition of Approvals Granted on the Basis of these Prescriptions; The 1997 Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Conditions FOR Periodical Inspection of Wheeled Vehicles; and The 1998 Agreement concerning the Establishing of Global Technical Regulations for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be Used on Wheeled Vehicles.
“We are grateful that sometime last year, we received communication from the UNECE Executive Secretary, Ms Olga Olgayerova requesting us to submit areas of potential Cooperation between Zimbabwe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe within the framework of the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). We have submitted a request for Capacity Building (Training) for Road Safety Standards adoption, Policy and Legislative Review and supporting multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder buy-in and collaboration in the ratification/accession to Conventions on Road Safety,” Minister Mhona said.
It is anticipated that the bilateral meeting will pave way for a possible visit to Zimbabwe by Mr Jean Todt during this first half of the year.
Last year the UN funded the Zimbabwe Road Safety Performance Review and the impending visit would be the key signal that the UN system would be following through not only to assess progress but also to fund the process. – The Herald
