GOVERNMENT has deployed more than 40 mobile enforcement teams across the country’s major highways ahead of the Easter and Independence holidays, in a high-stakes effort to contain a predictable surge in road accidents during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
“As a mitigating measure of road carnage during this period, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), in collaboration with Zimbabwe Republic Police, Vehicle Inspectorate Department and other stakeholders, will have over 40 mobile teams deployed throughout the country on all major highways,” Transport Minister Felix Mhona said.
The operation, which combines roadblocks, awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement, marks the sharp edge of a broader government strategy that pairs discipline on the roads with sweeping cost reductions in the transport sector.
Mhona on Thursday launched the Easter and Independence enforcement blitz alongside reforms that significantly reduce fees and compliance burdens for operators — signalling a calculated shift towards aligning road safety with economic efficiency.
“This season embodies love, joy, and the warmth of community yet we must also recognise the heightened risks associated with increased traffic during this time.
“Inevitably, our roads will be very busy with high volumes of traffic, thus increasing the risk of crashes on our roads.,” Mhona said.
While framed as a safety intervention, the campaign reflects a deeper attempt to address inefficiencies in a transport system critical to productive sectors, particularly agriculture and mining.
Accidents, congestion and high regulatory costs have long driven up logistics expenses, weighing on businesses and supply chains.
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Authorities are now moving to tackle those constraints more directly.
“Road safety is not merely an individual concern, it is a collective responsibility that involves every member of our community drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike,” Mhona said.
In parallel with the enforcement push, government has moved aggressively to slash fees widely criticised by operators as prohibitive.
“The the first-time vehicle registration was reviewed from USD500 to USD 50 while fees were reviewed from USD 515 to USD 95 for the new number plates when a new owner changes ownership of a vehicle” he said.
Authorities have also scrapped selected compliance requirements in a bid to streamline operations in the sector.
“Government completely removed the requirement for retesting of PSV Drivers. In that vein, the Ministry advises law enforcement agencies that retesting of PSV drivers is no longer a requirement, thus compliance with regards to the same is no longer enforceable at law,” Mhona added.
The policy push comes as the nation prepares for an unusually intense travel period, with Easter falling just ahead of Independence celebrations, a convergence expected to sharply increase traffic volumes nationwide.
Officials are determined to avoid the annual spike in fatal crashes that has become a hallmark of holiday seasons.
“Regrettably each year, the excitement surrounding the Easter holidays is disturbed by a troubling rise in road traffic crashes,” Mhona warned.
Authorities are also driving behavioural change as a central pillar of the campaign, targeting speeding, distracted driving and seatbelt use, with messaging that links individual conduct to broader economic and social costs.
At the same time, longer-term reforms are advancing. A proposed Road Accident Fund Bill aims to formalise post-crash support systems, including emergency evacuation and compensation mechanisms.
Mhona said the legislation would “provide evacuation services to all road traffic accident victims, investigate and settle claims.”
For an economy where transport costs ripple across supply chains, labour mobility and trade, the stakes are significant.
Fewer accidents mean less disruption, lower fees ease operational costs, and improved efficiency strengthens competitiveness.
For now, government is betting that tightening enforcement while loosening regulation can deliver both safer roads and a more efficient transport system.
