Africa-Press – Botswana. What is it about the A3 that seems to make it accident prone?
Over the past few years, the 800-kilometre highway has claimed motorists’ lives at a rate that has stained its reputation.
In 2021, the A3 snatched 125 lives from the 92 accidents recorded that year.
Last year, the count of lives lost on the road stood at 25.
On June 12 this year, a road accident survivor died, snowballing to 23 the death toll of the June 1 accident, and on the same day, the highway claimed yet one more life in a different mishap that landed some survivors in hospital.
Giving a breakdown of statistics from last year, Tatitown Police Station commander, Superintendent Boipuso Baatweng, said the 25 fatalities resulted from eight accidents, including the one that involved a mini-bus, claiming 19 lives.
The accidents happened in January, June, July and September, October, November, creating a sporadic pattern where every 2-3 months, the A3 takes a life.
The frequent loss of life plaguing A3 has made it a frequent source of discussion among public members, with opinions on the cause of the accidents divided between drivers’ conduct and the condition of the road.
When presented with the notion that perhaps the recurring accidents stemed from the unpleasant condition of the road, Supt Baatweng dismissed it.
“Most motorists are regular users of that road and for some it is a daily route, meaning that they are aware of the road’s flaws and they should be able to navigate its dangers,” he said.
His inclination is that bad driving is the major contributing factor.
“Due to the high volume of traffic brought about by trucks going in and out through the Kazungula border, drivers grow impatient and resort to risky driving behaviour,” he said.
Supt Baatweng pointed out that speeding was common along the road, another indication of some drivers’ poor judgment.
He said the police were doing their best to try to keep the road safe.
“We have a stationary road block at the Orapa Junction, in partnership with the Department of Road Transport and Safety, which is part of our public education effort. We daily set up speed traps along the road, from Mosetse to Dukwi, and drive livestock away from the road to reduce accidents,” Supt Baatweng said. His view is shared by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, which has called on road users to desist from risky driving behaviour.
“Sadly, most of the accidents have occurred where road conditions are fairly good,” the ministry said in a statement to BOPA, challenging the notion that accidents are always a result of bad roads.
Social media is awash with public comments venting frustration over the A3’s frequent fatal accidents.
Some fear travelling on the road with their families, whilst others are completely paranoid of public transport, owing to the road’s bloodstained recent past.
Member of Parliament for Nata/Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga, in whose constituency a significant part of the A3 is found, is one of the most vocal voices on the topic.
The MP recalls that he has tabled a motion in Parliament calling for government to establish a National Road Agency, introduce toll gates and conduct regular road maintenance.
The National Assembly accepted the motion.
Mr Majaga said the A3 strip was a means of access to a region of important economic activity, thus needed urgent attention.
In the past, the Botswana Tourism Organisation shared the sentiments, saying the road was bad for tourism.
The Nata-Maun part is a gateway to the North West District, thus providing a vital link to some of Botswana’s tourism crown jewels such as the Okavango Delta.
The Ministry of Transport and Public Works has assured that while it notes public concern about the road’s state, there are sections of the A3 that are in good condition as well as those that are not, such as the section from Francistown to Nata.
The Ministry said the road was planned for re-construction under the second Transitional National Development Plan.
“The project will be implemented through a Development Manager model whose procurement is ongoing.
Construction is expected to commence before the end of the year,” the ministry said.
The estimated cost of reconstruction for section between Francistown and Gweta is P2.38 billion.
In 2016, the Ministry of Transport and Public Works said the section of the road had reached its life span.
“Maintenance of the sections started in January 2018 and was completed in May 2019.
Most of our roads are constructed with a 20-year life span. It is not always possible to rehabilitate or re-construct the roads before the end of their life-span because of budgetary constraints.
Accidents are a factor of human error, mechanical condition of the vehicles, driving conditions, and road condition,” the ministry’s statement says.
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