Source: Municipal police should lead urban traffic enforcement –Newsday Zimbabwe
HARARE, Aug. 13 (NewsDay Live) — Municipal police are best placed to lead urban traffic enforcement because they understand local traffic patterns, infrastructure constraints and community priorities better than distant national agencies, Harare City Council chief traffic officer Martin Chimombe has said.
Chimombe made the remarks at a traffic enforcement master parade in Harare this week, as government moves to give municipal police arresting powers.
He said the rollout of artificial intelligence-powered traffic cameras in Harare’s central business district was aimed at tackling persistent road safety and traffic enforcement problems, including speeding, red-light violations, illegal turns and congestion.
“Municipal governments are best placed to lead urban traffic enforcement because they understand local traffic patterns, infrastructure constraints and community priorities in ways that distant national agencies cannot,” Chimombe said.
He said giving the city authority to manage and operate the CBD camera network — including site selection, signage, enforcement follow-up and local appeals — would place responsibility closer to residents affected by the decisions.
“Municipal control fosters accountability. City managers and councillors answer to residents and local businesses, so operational choices such as camera placement, public notices and the reinvestment of fine revenue are more likely to reflect community needs and face scrutiny from local stakeholders,” he said.
Chimombe, however, said municipal control should operate within a national framework.
“The city must operate within national legal frameworks that define offences, penalties and evidentiary standards,” he said.
He said municipal control would also improve responsiveness, allowing local teams to quickly adjust camera locations, traffic signal timings and signage to address emerging congestion and complaints.
He said cities could also run targeted awareness campaigns tailored to local languages, commuting patterns and business concerns, helping improve compliance and public support for traffic enforcement.
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