A proposal to separate heavy trucks from smaller vehicles on Zimbabwe’s roads has sparked debate in the Senate, with government acknowledging the idea’s safety benefits but warning it is currently beyond reach due to funding constraints.
The issue was raised in the Parliament of Zimbabwe Senate by Molly Ndlovu, who expressed concern over the rising number of accidents involving haulage trucks. She suggested that creating dedicated routes for heavy vehicles could help reduce fatalities and limit road damage.
“Trucks are causing many accidents. Is it possible that we separate them?” Ndlovu asked, noting that heavy vehicles were also accelerating the deterioration of the country’s road network.
Responding, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said while the proposal was desirable, it was not feasible under current economic conditions.
“It would be my wish to have such roads designated for trucks or haulage, but the world over, the practice is that the two types of vehicles use the same roads,” Mhona said.
He instead attributed the majority of road accidents to human error, pointing to reckless driving and failure to follow traffic laws as the primary causes of crashes.
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“All that is required is for drivers to be careful and to drive in line with the laws of this country,” he said.
Mhona identified road dualisation — expanding highways into multiple lanes — as a more practical intervention to improve safety and ease congestion. However, he cautioned that even this approach would not completely eliminate accidents.
“Even with four lanes, a vehicle can still cross and hit others. It is more to do with human error because the majority of our drivers are now reckless,” he added.
The minister also raised concern over inexperienced drivers entering the roads soon after obtaining licences, saying this was contributing to unsafe driving practices.
He urged motorists to exercise caution and strictly adhere to traffic regulations to help reduce road accidents.