Government is set to introduce an electronic traffic system to monitor police officers at roadblocks in real-time, to curb corruption and ensure compliance with traffic regulations.Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo said the system would detect unlicensed drivers, unroadworthy vehicles, blacklisted vehicles and drivers as well as fake licences.
This follows concerns raised against police officers engaging in corruption at roadblocks.
Last year alone, 320 police officers were fired for various offences bordering on abuse of office through corrupt activities.
“l want to take this opportunity to inform the nation of our plan to introduce electronic traffic management systems (ETMS), which is now at an advanced stage.
“ETMS is an integrated computerised traffic system, which curtails the opportunity for motorist and enforcement officers to negotiate terms for resolving traffic infringements.
“The system has the capacity to monitor activities of deployed traffic personnel throughout the country in real-time, detect unlicensed drivers, unroadworthy vehicles, blacklisted vehicles and drivers as well as fraudulently obtained licenses, among several other traffic-related issues.”
Dr Chombo said ETMS can record accidents, generate dockets and gather statistics electronically.
He said the measures were meant to reduce corruption in traffic policing and ensure compliance with road traffic regulations.
Speaking on the forthcoming festive season, Dr Chombo appealed to road users to exercise extreme caution on the roads.
“This will reduce and even prevent road carnage and unnecessary loss of lives, which has become a common occurrence during such periods,” he said.
“l would like to urge vehicle owners, particularly public transport operators, to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, and not to overload their vehicles and that they should value the lives of the people they carry to avert road carnage,” he said.
Minister Chombo urged motorists and the general public not to take unnecessary risks by attempting to cross flooded rivers as this would lead to unnecessary loss of lives.
- The Herald