An Analysis of the Causes, of Traffic Congestion in the City of Masvingo, Zimbabwe

The study focussed on analysing the causes of Traffic congestion in Masvingo city, in Zimbabwe in the 2017 to 2022 period. The study was carried out to address issues of congestion that were experienced from the morning, mid-day to evening in major streets and roads in Masvingo. These forms of traffic had been associated with intermittent traffic jams, long queues, and the suffering of motorists and passengers. The study adopted a pragmatic research philosophy that applied a cross-sectional survey of 154 survey questionnaires and a case study of 3 in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Quota sampling and judgmental sampling were used for selecting the research participants. The study established that Poor driving practices, unwelcome weather conditions, narrow, rough, and potholed roads, ongoing road works and rehabilitation, road closures, and an increase in the use of small occupancy personal vehicles ranked among the major causes of congestion in Masvingo city. The study also showed that being part of the Harare -Beitbridge highway topped as a reason for the city to experience congestion. The researcher recommends further studies to be carried out on ways of improving operational performance of ZUPCO franchise in Masvingo Urban Commuting System.