HARARE, Aug. 7 (NewsDay Live) – Harare City Council says its rollout of AI-powered traffic cameras in the central business district is aimed at improving road safety and strengthening enforcement, while ensuring motorists are properly informed to avoid perceptions of entrapment.
Chief traffic officer Martin Chimombe has urged the city’s public relations department to implement a strong, multi-channel communication strategy to sensitise motorists ahead of full enforcement of the Electronic Traffic Management System (ETMS).
Chimombe made the remarks at the traffic enforcement master parade in the capital on Thursday, where he was the guest of honour.
He said the introduction of the smart surveillance system was a “noble idea” designed to address persistent traffic violations that have been difficult to control through traditional policing methods.
“Harare’s roll-out of AI-powered traffic cameras in the CBD responds to persistent road safety and traffic enforcement challenges such as speeding, red-light running, illegal turns and congestion, which traditional methods of enforcement have struggled to contain,” Chimombe said.
He said the ETMS would complement human traffic officers by introducing automated detection, reliable evidence capture and electronic ticketing.
“The system aims to supplement human policing with automated detection, reliable evidence capture and e-ticketing to deter dangerous behaviour and inform infrastructure decisions, thereby promoting consistent enforcement across busy junctions,” he said.
However, Chimombe stressed that public awareness was critical to the success and legitimacy of the system, warning that failure to properly inform motorists could lead to perceptions of entrapment.
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“Legitimacy requires that motorists be informed well before laws are gazetted and certainly before enforcement commences,” he said.
He said advance communication would allow drivers to adjust their behaviour, reduce resistance to the system and give stakeholders room to raise operational concerns.
“Advance notice allows drivers to change behaviour, reduces perceptions of entrapment, and provides a window for stakeholders to raise operational concerns,” Chimombe said.
He also recommended that the system be introduced in phases, including a non-penal trial period before fines are enforced.
“Authorities should run the system in a non-penal trial phase to identify and fix technical bugs, refine signage, and test appeals pathways before financial penalties are applied,” he said.
Chimombe said a phased approach would help reduce wrongful penalties, improve public acceptance and strengthen long-term compliance.
“Therefore, I wish to appeal to our public relations section to have an effective communications strategy or awareness campaign that should be multi-channelled, targeted and sustained,” he said.
He said the campaign should include early notification, clear messaging in plain language, visual demonstrations, accessible appeals procedures and continuous public engagement to ensure motorists fully understand the new system before enforcement begins.
