The state of the Lusaka – Ndola highway which is one the busiest highway roads in Zambia needs urgent attention to avert the loss of more lives and property as most parts of the busy road is now posing a danger to users. A random check on the busy road shows that the number of road traffic accidents on this road are now officially an emergency.
And a check with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has revealed that over 80% of the road traffic accidents that have been recorded this year are as a result of human error coupled with dilapidated roads.
RTSA Head of Public Relations Fredrick Mubanga said the causes of the road traffic accidents are a consortium of many factors such as the poor state of roads especially on the Lusaka-Copperbelt road.
Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mubanga said RTSA is working on changing the bad driver attitude and is putting in place corresponding counter measures to address issues such as excessive speed and dangerous driving among others, adding that the agency aims to see a sense of responsibility among drivers.
He has warned drivers to desist from being a danger on the road noting that going forward the agency will start revoking driving licenses of motorists who are proving to be a nuisance on the road and disregarding traffic rules.
Mubanga explained that motorists who do not follow the rules risk being charged as that is an offence and the agency would also evoke the provisions of the Road Traffic Act No. 11 of 2002 that empowers RTSA to revoke licenses of drivers that tend to be a danger to other road users.
“I will give you an example of the driver of the fuel tanker that caused an accident in Kapiri involving a fuel tanker and a train. The agency is of the view that the driver acted negligently and violated the driver’s duty of care and we have since proceeded to engage such a driver to show cause why his license should not be revoked”, he said.
Mubanga has specifically warned drivers of public service vehicles, in particular those driving goods to be cautious on the road as most of the accidents involve distant trucks because drivers are having disregard for other road users especially those using small vehicles noting that all those found causing an accident with impunity risk having their licenses revoked.
“We have to take measures and vigorously tackle the problem before us. We also seek the cooperation of all road users, individual drivers to take it upon themselves to see that they promote or adhere to all traffic rules and regulations”, he said.
He mentioned that the agency has also enhanced the traffic enforcement operations and taken advantage of the period following the N’cwala ceremony to heighten its publicity activities and set out enforcement points to screen drivers who may be driving under the influence alcohol as well as drivers that are driving at excessive speed among others.
Mubanga stressed that the agency will implement Road Traffic Act No. 11 in totality to ensure that immediate ways of putting an end to the road traffic accidents are realised adding that the agency will provide the quarterly statistics of road traffic accidents at the end of the quarter.
Despite the efforts of RTSA, the route cause of the increase in road traffic accidents on the Lusaka to Ndola Highway is down to the dilapidated road. The road has developed big potholes which are not being fixed even through patching up. There are stretches were the road has basically become deformed and needs urgent and emergency attention.
Goods may be insured, but how many human lives should be lost before action is taken. There is need for emergency patch up works even as the long term re-surfacing is contracted as this will take time. The Lusaka – Ndola road is in such a bad state that even getting out of Lusaka, getting into Kabwe and getting into Ndola is so congested as if there are no authorities to come up with immediate solutions.
