Blantyre Police advises public to follow road safety measures as road accidents increase

Road accidents are on the increase

* Drivers should always remember all the rules that their instructor’s told them during their driving lessons

* We have plans as a district to disseminate information about the road accidents

* We will continue to do our job like assessing the vehicle, checking passengers’ capacity and certificate of fitness documents

* Those found contravening traffic rules shall be brought to book

By Mercy Nsaliwa, MANA

Blantyre Police Station has bemoaned increase in road accidents following a series of road accidents that happened recently at Madziabango, Clock Tower and Mbayani, which claimed 14 lives and left 20 injured.

The Police thus described the development as worrisome and urged the public to follow road safety measures to avoid accidents.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, public relations officer for Blantyre Police Station, Peter Mchiza cautioned road users to follow all road traffic rules and regulations to reduce road accidents in the district and Malawi at large.

“Drivers should always remember all the rules that their instructor’s told them during their driving lessons,” he said. “We have plans as a district to disseminate information about the road accidents in order to remind all road users to follow road safety tips.

“We will continue to do our job like assessing the vehicle, checking passengers’ capacity and also certificate of fitness documents and others. Those found contravening traffic rules shall be brought to book,” he said.

In his remarks, Albert Moyo, one of the minibus operators in Blantyre, shared Mchiza’s sentiments but called for cordial relationship between road users and the police to make the district an accident-free zone.

“We need to avoid pointing fingers at each other and having a negative attitude towards minibus drivers and motorcycles operators as perpetrators of road accidents,” he said.

Moyo said the police should not only penalize minibus drivers but also have a keen interest at all other motorists to avoid road accidents in the district.

While there are some sane minibus drivers on the roads of Malawi who follow traffic safety measures, a majority of them are careless as they disregard other road users by stopping at undesignated areas to pick up passengers.

A motorist, who declined to be mentioned, advised other road users “to be extra alert when driving behind a minibus and to reduce speed if being overtaken because they can immediately stop for a passenger soon after manouvring the overtake process”.

He further said as the police sensitise the public to follow road safety measures, they should also discourage pedestrians that they should “not be lazy but to walk to designated minibus stops rather than flagging it at any place”.

“While I understand that there aren’t many and convenient designated minibus stops, the police and the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services should sensitise that passengers shouldn’t just stop a minibus at any place but make judgements that it be stopped at spots which the minibus driver can get off road for other users to pass through.

“When a minibus driver stops for a passenger, he doesn’t pull out of the road but stops right in the middle of the road blocking those coming from behind.”

Sean Kamwendo had no kind words for motorcycle taxi operators (kabaza), saying “they are the most dangerous road users who overtake cars and immediately cuts in front of the car being overtaken to get into lane”.

“When they reach a junction, they don’t event give way for an approaching vehicle but immediately joins the main road without a care in the world — yet all along they are carrying a passenger.

“Some overtake you from the left hand side instead of the right hand side. The left hand side is a blind side for motorists and before you know it, you just notice with surprise as the kabaza overtakes you.

“When a motorist is being overtaken as per traffic rules, they immediately spot the vehicle or motorcycle through the right hand mirror and they become more alert and sometimes help you to complete your overtake manouvre by reducing speed — that’s defensive driving,” Kamwendo said.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express