Safety Week imminent
Trisa Ray Sibanda
Railway companies in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region will commemorate Southern African Railway Association (SARA) Railway Safety Week from 9 to 14 October.
The safety week will be observed in all SARA member states.
This follows a resolution by the SARA Board to set aside a week in October every year to increase public awareness campaigns on railway safety to curb accidents and fatalities on the track.
The Railway Safety Week is also meant to ensure that the region has a joint regional advocacy for railways safety practices which conform to the SADC SARA Railway Safety Standards.
NRZ Acting Public Relations Manager, Martin Banda said this year’s commemorations will focus on Rail or Road Level Crossing awareness with the theme ‘Be vigilant around the tracks, trains are fast but slow to stop.’
“Rail or Road level crossings in the SADC region have been scenes of many horrific accidents as vehicle drivers ignore traffic rules and try to cross these intersections in front of oncoming trains.
In Zimbabwe, the main Railway Safety Week activities will be held in Bulawayo in the middle of the most populous western suburb, the Luveve and Cowdray Park Rail or Road level crossing which is the busiest level crossing,” said Banda.
Again, during that week NRZ and other partners will impart information on railway and road safety awareness to members of the public.
The official launch of the week will be on 13 October at the Rail and Road level crossing on Luveve, Cowdray Park Road near eMakhandeni Cricket Club where many deadly accidents have been reported.
Banda said :”The Railways Safety Week is expected to;Reduce railway sector incidents and accidents, reduce vandalism while protecting both railway and road infrastructure and safety equipment, promote the railway sector and its importance in the academic and curricula sector, enhance support towards SARA Railway Safety Standards.
The NRZ is inviting members of the public, road users, transporters, regulatory and safety organisations, insurance companies and others to be part of the commemorations as there is a lot to learn on rail and road safety issues,” he said.
Among the activities lined up for the Railway Safety Week are awareness campaigns on rail and road safety, education programmes, practical involvement of everyone, Safety Week procession and march and train ride for participants to and from Luveve and Cowdray Park level crossing.
SARA has its headquarters in Harare and was formed in April 1996 in line with the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology (PTCM), Article 13.13 which stipulated the formation of Regional Associations for each transport mode.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development (MoTID), Honourable Felix T. Mhona, is expected to officially open the 2022 Railway Safety Week.
