Source: Govt urged speed up setting up of Road Disaster Fund – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 3, 2017
GOVERNMENT has been urged to fast-track the introduction of a proposed Road Disaster Fund to provide medical relief to accident victims following the recent spike in traffic accidents, although Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa recently seemed opposed to the idea.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
The call was made last week by public transport operators at the burial of Inter Africa bus owner, Leonard Mukumba’s father at Chikwena village, Makoni South in Manicaland province.
The operators, mostly from the Zimbabwe Transport Organisation (ZTO), said they were concerned with the loss of lives on the country’s roads.
ZTO chairman and CAG bus company director, Samson Nhanhanga, said the Road Disaster Fund would come in handy to injured passengers, as most passenger insurance companies were reluctant to assist the victims.
“We are urging the government to fast-track the introduction of the disaster fund because the passenger insurance is not helping our cause,’’ he said.
“It’s very selective in helping people, but the fund will help everyone. Only three countries in the region – Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe – do not have such a fund,’’ he said.
This came on the backdrop of an accident that killed 43 people a few weeks involving a Lusaka-bound King Lion bus.
Dangamvura/Chikanga legislator, Esau Mupfumi, who also runs a bus company, Chinjekure Investments, said transport operators should also assist the government to come up with the fund.
“I am urging transport operators that we should help the government fast track the coming up of the disaster fund,’’ he said. “Let’s help the government so that we have the fund as soon as tomorrow, because the passenger insurance is not helping our cause, it’s taking long for funds to be processed.’’
Mukumba weighed in, but urged transport operators to fit vehicle trackers on their buses to monitor the conduct of their drivers as part of efforts to reduce road carnage.
“Yes, the passenger insurance is not helping our cause because you take two weeks or even a month to process the funds after the accident and it’s not good,’’ he said.
“Let’s use trackers to monitor our drivers, I know small companies are avoiding it because it’s expensive, but we should also be seen sacrificing so that we save lives,’’ he said.
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