By Jeremiah Gora
Government has granted public service vehicle operators a three-month grace period to comply with the National Speed Monitoring System (NSMS), with the law set to be fully enforced after the grace period expires.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Hon Advocate Felix Tapiwa Mhona announced the measure today while commissioning the National Speed Monitoring System at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.
The system is being introduced to enforce compliance with Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, which requires public service vehicles to be fitted with speed limiting and speed monitoring devices.
“To allow all public service vehicle operators sufficient time to comply, Government will grant a grace period of three (3) months from the date of this launch,” Hon Mhona said.
“Upon expiry of the grace period, the law will take its full course.”
Hon Mhona said the NSMS would strengthen road safety, accountability and oversight of public service vehicles by providing authorities with information on their movement and operations.
“This initiative is not simply about tracking vehicles on a map. It is about saving lives, improving accountability and strengthening public confidence in our transport system,” he said.
The minister said the system would support regulatory oversight, facilitate timely interventions and generate data that could be used to improve public transport planning.
He said the initiative formed part of Government’s broader efforts to reduce road fatalities by 25 percent by 2030.
Min Mhona urged transport operators and drivers to embrace the monitoring system, stressing that compliance should be viewed as part of the collective responsibility to protect passengers and other road users.
“To our drivers, I urge you to remember that every journey carries human lives. The technology we are launching today must complement responsible driving, respect for passengers and adherence to road safety requirements,” he said.
The minister also outlined a raft of legislative and administrative measures being pursued by Government to improve road safety.
These include Statutory Instrument 119 of 2023 on the licensing of drivers, SI 118 of 2023 on speed limiting and tracking devices, and SI 10 of 2025, which restricts people below the age of 30 without five years’ experience from driving public passenger-carrying vehicles.
Government is also working towards the enactment of a Road Accident Fund Bill and a Road Traffic Authority Bill, which Hon Mhona said would seek to integrate the Vehicle Inspectorate Department, Central Vehicle Registry, Road Motor Transportation and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe with regulatory and enforcement powers.
Other regulations being pursued include those covering e-hailing services, road transport cabotage, a penalty-point or demerit system, Good Samaritan provisions, student handbooks and the Highway Code, drivers’ working hours and hazardous defensive driving certification.
On road safety operations, Min Mhona said Government was collaborating with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage on the Smart Electronic Traffic Management System.
He said the Vehicle Inspectorate Department had also been equipped with 18 smart operational vehicles fitted with advanced brake roller testers, while breathalysers had been procured for use by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Government has also introduced a post-crash management system involving ambulances stationed at strategic locations, including tollgates and accident-prone areas, to facilitate the rapid evacuation of crash victims.
He said efforts to control axle loads and overloading had also been intensified through the national weighbridge programme and weigh-in-motion systems.
He said 23 weighbridges had been rehabilitated, while procurement of 18 additional weighbridges was underway.
The minister said engineering measures were also being incorporated into road rehabilitation projects, including road signs, markings, guard rails, shoulders and grade-separated interchanges.
He added that road-safety awareness campaigns, pedestrian crossings, road markings and fencing of road sections affected by livestock crossings were also part of the broader road-safety programme.
Hon Mhona said the success of the NSMS would depend on cooperation between Government, transport operators, drivers, technology providers and the public.
“Technology alone cannot solve every challenge. Its success will depend on the integrity of the information collected, the responsiveness of institutions, compliance by operators and the willingness of all stakeholders to work together,” he said.
The minister thanked institutions, technical teams and transport operators involved in the development of the system, singling out Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Operators for their contribution.
