The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), has revealed that it has summoned a number of social media influencers in the last few days for going live on their social media platforms while driving.
according to reports cases of Road traffic accidents are on the rise due to in most case scenario driver negligence.
Speaking in an an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, RTSA public relations officer Mukela Mangolwa said offenders are not going to be fined but will be taken through a fast-track court of which it will be up to the magistrate to decide what fine will be paid by the offenders.
Mangolwa has warned that RTSA is summoning everyone abrogating road traffic laws regardless of their status in society and that in the next few days, information will be availed to the public on what actions will be taken on influencers who have been summoned.
“I wouldn’t want to share the names but a number of them have been summoned in the last few days. One of them was supposed to have reported on Monday to answer to charges. These are not going to be fined but will be taken through fast-track court and it will be up to the magistrate to decide what fine will be paid by the offenders. So we are summoning everyone regardless of what status they hold in society. In the next few days, I’m sure we will have information on what actions will be taken on some of these people who have been summoned,” he said.
Mangolwa reiterated that it is an offense for someone to use a phone while driving and that the dangers extend to live streaming while driving a motor vehicle on a public road as the end results are dire.
“In recent times we’ve seen a common trend, especially among public figures or influencers in the country and we are treating every case the same. For us, we don’t look at the status of an individual in the community. The law is very clear on that one. It is an offense for someone to use a phone while driving. The dangers also extend to live streaming while someone is driving a motor vehicle on a public road,” said Mangolwa.
Meanwhile asked to reveal the names of the social media influencers summoned, Mangolwa withheld the names and assured that the names would be availed to the public as soon as the offenders answer to their charges.
He said the agency expects people to use their status in the community to help disseminate road safety information instead of using their status to abrogate the law.
He added that the agency wants to work with everyone to promote road safety because a lot of lives are being lost as a result of road traffic accidents.
“We want to allow the concerned parties to answer the charges before we publicize their names. As an agency we expect people to use their status in the community to help disseminate road safety information instead of using their status wrongly by breaking the law. As an agency, we want to work with everyone when it comes to issues with road safety because we are losing a lot of people as a result of road traffic accidents. The statistics are so alarming so everyone has to come on board and make their contributions, people should use whatever power, platform, or following on social media to work with us to save lives,” he said.
He therefore revealed that just a few days ago, a pedestrian was hit by a train because they were listening to music using headsets while walking along a rail line.
“I was talking about losing lives, just a few days we lost a pedestrian who was hit by a train because they were listening to music on headsets and walking along a rail line. That just highlights the importance of people adhering to the law because this is something we have been talking about,” said Mangolwa.