The government is planning to increase the minimum age for kombi and bus drivers from 25 to 30 years to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities caused by reckless driving. Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona announced this during a Senate session, stating that raising the minimum age will ensure only mature and experienced drivers operate public vehicles.
Currently, the minimum age for public service drivers in the SADC region is 30 years, and this change aims to address the issue of overzealous drivers. According to Mhona, Zimbabwe loses approximately 2,000 lives annually due to traffic fatalities, resulting in a significant economic burden of around US$406 million per year.
The proposal has received mixed reactions from stakeholders. Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACO) chairman Ngoni Katsvairo supports the move, citing the importance of experience and maturity. However, Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors (ZUDCO) president Fradreck Maguramhinga argues that many drivers between 25 and 30 years old are already mature and responsible, and proposes maintaining the 25-year age limit for smaller public service vehicles like commuter omnibuses.
In a related move, the government introduced Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, requiring public service vehicles to be fitted with speed-limiting devices to prevent speeding, which has been a major contributor to bus accidents.
<p>The post Government Considers Raising Minimum Age for Kombi and Bus Drivers to 30 Years first appeared on Dandaro Online.</p>
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