Harare – Government has launched the National Speed Monitoring System (NSMS), a technology-driven platform designed to track and regulate public service vehicles, with a six-month grace period granted to operators to comply before the law takes full effect.

Officially commissioning the system at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the initiative is aimed at strengthening safety, accountability, efficiency and oversight of public service vehicles.

“This initiative is not simply about tracking vehicles on a map. It is about saving lives, improving accountability and strengthening public confidence in our transport system,” Mhona said.

He said the system would contribute directly to the country’s objective of reducing road fatalities by 25 percent by 2030.

The NSMS is being introduced to enforce compliance with Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, which requires public service vehicles to be fitted with speed limiting and speed monitoring devices.

Mhona said the platform would give authorities access to better information on the movement and operation of public service vehicles, supporting regulatory oversight, timely interventions and data-driven planning.

“For transport operators, the system presents an opportunity to strengthen operational discipline and to demonstrate compliance with the law. For drivers, it reinforces the importance of responsible conduct on our roads. For passengers, it represents an additional layer of protection and accountability,” he said.

The minister, however, emphasised that the monitoring tool should not be viewed merely as an enforcement mechanism, but as a partnership for safer and more efficient public transportation.

“Government recognises that successful implementation will require the cooperation of all stakeholders. Transport operators, drivers, regulatory authorities, technology providers and members of the public all have a role to play,” he said.

Mhona urged transport operators to embrace the system, describing compliance not merely as a legal obligation but as part of a collective responsibility to protect passengers and other road users.

He also called on drivers to remember that every journey carries human lives, and urged the team administering the system to uphold professionalism, transparency and responsible use of the information it generates.

“Technology gives us an opportunity to improve the way we manage public transport, but technology alone cannot solve every challenge. Its success will depend on the integrity of the information collected, the responsiveness of institutions, compliance by operators and the willingness of all stakeholders to work together,” he said.

The NSMS launch is part of a broader package of legislative and administrative measures government has implemented over the past three years to reduce road traffic accidents.

Mhona listed the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 2023 (SI 119 of 2023), the Road Traffic (Speed Limiting and Tracking Devices) Regulations, 2023 (SI 118 of 2023), and Statutory Instrument 10 of 2025, which prohibits persons below the age of 30 and without five years’ experience from driving a public passenger-carrying vehicle.

He said government is at an advanced stage towards enacting the Road Accident Fund Bill and is working on a Road Traffic Authority Bill that seeks to integrate the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID), Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Road Motor Transport (RMT) and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) with regulatory and enforcement powers.

Other regulations in the pipeline include a review of SI 309 of 1985 on driving schools, e-hailing regulations, road transport cabotage regulations, a penalty point (demerit) system, good Samaritan law regulations, a student handbook and highway code, an SI to regulate drivers’ working hours, and an SI on hazardous defensive drivers’ certification.

On operations, Mhona said government continues to collaborate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage on the Smart Electronic Traffic Management System (ETMS), and has empowered VID with 18 smart operational vehicles equipped with advanced brake roller testers.

He said breathalysers sourced by TSCZ have been procured and donated for use by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, while a post-crash management system has been introduced through the stationing of ambulances at strategic points such as toll gates and dangerous road spots.

Government has also increased axle-load and overload control through the national weighbridge programme and weigh-in-motion systems, rehabilitating 23 weighbridges with 18 more under procurement.

Mhona said engineering safety improvements, including road signage, markings, guard-rails, shoulders and grade-separated interchanges, continue to be embedded in rehabilitation works, while public road-safety awareness campaigns led by TSCZ have been increased and revamped.

He thanked institutions, technical teams, transport operators and stakeholders whose work contributed to bringing the initiative to fruition, singling out the Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Operators for their role.

“To allow all public service vehicle operators sufficient time to comply, Government will grant a grace period of six (6) months from the date of this launch. Upon expiry of the grace period, the law will take its full course,” Mhona said.

The event was attended by other government ministers and representatives from the local authority among other