The National Road Transport Institute (INATRO) has begun the pilot phase of a centre for monitoring road offences, in an initiative aimed at strengthening the fight against road accidents in Mozambique, the authorities said this week.
“INATRO is currently in the pilot phase of putting into operation an offence monitoring centre”, said Cláudio Zunguze, administrator for the institution's technical portfolio, during the presentation of sanctions against a minibus taxi driver recently caught red-handed performing dangerous manoeuvres on one of Maputo's main avenues.
According to Zunguze, this centre aims to reduce reliance on videos captured by ordinary citizens, often shared on social media as a form of reporting. “We would not like to depend solely on the goodwill of individual motorists, but we are also seeking technological resources to help us identify situations that endanger the safety of road users”, he stressed.
While valuing the civic initiative of documenting offences, the official warns of the associated risks, such as the potential distraction of drivers while filming.
The driver involved in the case that prompted INATRO's reaction was sanctioned with a one-year driving licence suspension and fined, although the amount of the fine was not disclosed. The institution classed the offence as “serious”.
This measure comes amid growing concern over road accident levels in the country. Last November, the President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, called for firmer action by the police to curb the number of accidents. The Head of State revealed that, between January and September 2025, Mozambique recorded 408 road accidents, a slight fall from the 459 that occurred in the same period of 2024. However, the number of fatalities rose to 662, compared with 555 deaths recorded the previous year.
The monitoring centre now in its trial phase thus represents a bet on technological tools as allies in traffic enforcement and in promoting a safer road culture.
