By Emison Haripindi

A lot has been said about bikers.

Nasty comments are posted on social media about bad habits by motorbike riders.

Motorists defend themselves, suggesting that bikers are all to blame for accidents involving bikes and motor vehicles.

But statics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police suggest otherwise.

The drivers defensive course handbook also suggests otherwise stating that in over 50%  of vehicle/ bike collision , the vehicle drivers are at fault.

Well, when the issue of bikers is mentioned,  many think of the delivery guys in town.

"Bikers are a menace on our roads. They behave as if they have seven lives, wrote one Facebook user in reference to delivery bikers.

One then asks if Coach Rambo (Victor Kazembe)is a delivery guy.

Coach was involved in an accident mid-July along the Harare-Bulawayo road near Norton thereby sustaining injuries and fractures.

People were still celebrating his heroic acts after he retrieved bodies in a Budiriro pond.

A diver and a lifesaver, Rambo could not perform his duties during Ruti and Kariba  dam disasters to the accident that almost claimed his life .

When we talk of bikers , we will be talking of that security officer doing patrols in your neighborhood, ensuring your security.

We talk of those riders getting your samples or delivering results from the lab.

We talk of that rider from a pharmacy delivering medication for your relative.

We also talk of that Mbinga who would have parked their top of range vehicle for the bike, be it a Harley, BMW GS or a Kawasaki showing off their financial muscle.

The bone of contention seems to stem from the rule that motorbikes, just like any vehicles should use a fulll lane.

Vehicles should then take a motorbike as a vehicle.  That is not the case in Zimbabwe. Some drivers scare riders off the road.  

They turn  in front of motorbikes and at times  overtake awkwardly endangering bikers.

Most bikers end up using the yellow lane, thereby increasing their vulnerability as they travel on the blind spot of the vehicle.  

Their vulnerability is more pronounced as some drivers solely rely on mirrors rather than physically checking their blind spot.

Some drivers drive whilst chatting on the phone. Some drive whilst drunk.

We can not solely blame the drivers as they are some Riders who are reckless on the road.

They ride without protective gear. Others ride whilst drunk or weaving through vehicles.  

There is a need for sanity on our roads.

The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe should come up with efforts to curb the bike / vehicle crashes.

There is a need to revisit the Highway Code and have more information on pedestrians,  cyclists, and riders.

There is a need to have a good number of questions on these three vulnerable groups when one is going for the learners license popularly known as the provisional.

With people such as Enerst Muchena, who have been with the council for some years championing road safety ,  riders safety should be prioritised.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police should also make public statistics on the vehicle/ bike crashes. The ZRP has increased its mobility and visibility on the road by deploying bikers.

This then will help as these officers can give accurate qualitative and quantitative data on road usage by both drivers and riders.

The Harare City council,  instead of clamping riders, can work on road safety through documenting all bikes in the CBD , introduce a ticketing system for bike parking.

This money  can then be used to do road safety campaigns or introduce awards for good riding.

But what is astonishing is the silence by most organisations using motor bikes as their source of transport.  

These are the organizations that should be spearheading riders  safety campaigns

Motorbike assembling companies flock tobacco auction floors targeting farmers coming from the countryside but rarely do they do awarenesses for end user.

Motorbikes are increasing on the roads as both individuals and companies are resorting to their use.

Some are dependent on motorbikes as their source of living .

If involved in an accident  all those dependant on it will feel the pinch.

Whilst drivers think during a crash they are more safe than the rider, they should always bear in mind that an accident is not predictable.  

The driver may become the deceased while  the driver with bruises only.