Zimbabwe Moves to Tighten Regulation of School Transport After Fatal Accidents

Zimbabwe’s education authorities are considering new measures to regulate vehicles transporting learners following a series of fatal road accidents that have raised concerns about roadworthiness, overloading, and child safety. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says it is developing a policy framework that would introduce greater oversight of transport operators responsible for ferrying schoolchildren.

Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the initiative will be undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

“The Ministry is concerned by the continued loss of life of learners on school transport routes and we believe this is worsened by the condition of vehicles plying these routes or negligent driving,” Ndoro said.

He noted that recent tragedies have highlighted the need for stronger safeguards to protect learners.

“The urgency of the matter has been underlined by the Gweru disaster, where the President declared the incident a national disaster,” he said.

Although the proposal has not yet been adopted as official policy, authorities say the intention is to ensure that only suitable vehicles and properly qualified drivers are entrusted with transporting schoolchildren.

“So, this is not yet policy, but what we are saying is that learners should be ferried by vehicles suitable to carry learners and the drivers should be licensed to drive learners, not a haphazard scenario,” Ndoro added.

The move comes amid growing public concern over the safety of learner transport across the country. Recent accidents involving schoolchildren have intensified calls for stricter enforcement of vehicle fitness standards, driver competence requirements, and passenger safety regulations.

The debate has been fuelled by several recent tragedies, including a fatal accident in Gweru that prompted a national response, as well as another deadly incident in Chiredzi earlier this week in which children travelling to school were among those killed.

If implemented, the proposed framework could introduce minimum standards for school transport operators, vehicle inspections, licensing requirements, and monitoring systems aimed at reducing risks faced by learners on their daily journeys to and from school. Education and transport authorities are expected to consult stakeholders before finalising any new regulations.

Zimbabwe school transport regulations