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Thousands of commuters using public transport every day continue to face safety risks as overloading remains common on buses and minibuses during peak hours, despite regulations designed to protect passengers.
Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times -ZBT, Bus Drivers Association president Amis Daudi acknowledged that some public service vehicles continue to carry passengers beyond their approved capacity, particularly during morning and evening rush hours.
“Overloading is common during peak hours, but it is not something vehicle owners authorize. It compromises passenger safety, comfort and even damages vehicles,” he said.
Daudi said registered public service vehicles undergo inspections by the Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA during licence renewals and mandatory fitness checks every three months. Passenger capacity is also verified during these inspections.
He warned that any extra seats beyond the approved capacity are illegal and described improvised seating arrangements as dangerous to passengers. Daudi also raised concern over illegal transport operators, saying many operate outside regulatory oversight and often lack adequate passenger insurance cover.
He urged passengers to avoid overloaded and unregistered vehicles and called for stronger enforcement by RTSA and the police to improve safety standards across the public transport sector.
Article by Karen Ngulube
