Government has urged its Transport Officers (TOs) to put in place measures to curb the rampant abuse of its vehicles.
ZANIS reports Works and Supply Permanent Secretary Bizwayo Nkunika said this in his opening remarks when he officially opened a five day workshop organised by his ministry under the theme ” Transport Management.”
The workshop being held at Precem Hotel has attracted Government Transport Officers and Inspectors of Government Transport.
Lieutenant Colonel Nkunika said for this reason, his ministry will facilitate guidelines and regulations on High way Code to avoid unnecessary road accidents he said was costing government huge sums of moneys to replace and repair its vehicles.
Lt.Col Nkunika said as government workers, TOs should to know that government vehicles are government properties that needed care and accounted for.
He regretted that some government drivers employed do not properly manage the vehicles which are part of government property.
He has since appealed to his counterparts line ministries to put in place stringent measures and ensure that government vehicles are insured with relevant Insurance Companies.
The PS said it is inevitable that government vehicles are used efficiently and effectively.
He said TOs should be proactive and responsible enough by instituting a good asset management practices to safe guard government vehicles.
He said government vehicles will be monitored by the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) where maintenance details would be recorded on a regular basis.
Speaking earlier, the ministry’s TO John Kasanga said that only 2,500 out of the 6000 government vehicles, are insured.
Captain Kasanga said another workshop is earmarked in provinces to to sensitizing drivers on transport management.
ZANIS/KC/ENDS/MM
Inspectors of govt transport do they exist? It is usually the senior govt officers who abuse govt vehicles. One officer with three vehicles to himself that is one for his children, second one for himself and a third for the wife. Members of the family learn how to drive using govt vehicle without any competence to drive govt vehicle. The weekend passes don;t exist.
stupid the same officers of transport are the ones abusing
The Transport officers are not the only problem. They just follow the instructions of whichever “bwana” – MP, Minister, Dep.Minister etc If the TOs were to do their jobs properly, a lot of them would be fired for ‘insubordination’ !! Those people in high offices should also be educated on NOT abusing their authority and privileges. I agree with #1 !
are thet just realising this? grz is very slow eh!!!!!
Indeed government vehicles are the most abused in the country and you may see this on highways with the type of cargo on the carriers. The problem is there is no system to control the use of gov vehicles because anyone can drive anywhere, at anytime, and carrying anything! Transport Inspectors can play a BIG role to control this ABUSE!
YEAP now thr govt is waking up. Buy ministers Landrovers pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Zambia is in a crisis where management of people generated resources is concerned.there are certain sections of society who think they are more zambians than others.these are the top government officials.we are not against their use of these vehicles for we know its part of their conditions of service like any other person would do when appointed in the same.the question is the manner of usage:is it allowed to take these vehicles for sand collection,cement loading and at times even neglecting tonnage allowances,going out for holidays and safary tours with them?then how do we stop this?stop releasing them over the weekends and monitoring mileage each time it comes and goes.only God knows us.
Look at the fuel prices in Zambia,ever going up and yet the defence forces are heavily investing in buying porcsh cars for their bosses and their wives at TAXI payers expense.Please help us,we cannot afford to always fund these guys who are just using these cars to pick up their families and girlfriends instead of doing work.
akalijo…just get appointed or promoted as well and enjoy… if yo cant stop them join as well….eg
Abuse of govt vehicles is so rampant in Zambia.It seems the practice is perpetuated by enormous fuels which the govt dishes out to individuals for theie personal use instead of work.
Let us limit the number of vehicles that use free fuel to utility cars/vehicles and personal cars for may be the top 5 in each Defence wing.
Zambia is not an OPEC country.
A number of comments are placed from without. Go and see the inspectors when they are on duty. Even ministers have been known to walk when found without a weekend permit or competence. The inspectors are playing their part but so should the line ministries that own the vehicles.
it is suprising that even when sensitisation is carried out to TOs so that abuse is halted, you people still complain, so what do you want?
Why noy impose a curfew for GRZ vehicles excluding Police, Ambulances and other services.Instruct police, para-millitary and the ordinary soldiers to impound any GRZ vehicle after say 7PM. I have seen it work in RSA and could simply be implemented, and all GRZ vehicles should have a different number plates and color codes, for ease of identification.
Col Nkunika be real, you remember when Sondashi was your Minister, a guy from GCTU (Government Transport Control Unit) was disciplined for impounding a vehicle that was being driven by a Minister without permit, come on address this to someone else, your TOs have no power because the people that approve use of GRZ vehicles outside working hours are Directors mostly of Human Resource and Administration.
Imwe guyz ama hafu tayafula. If it were UNZA Lecturers and/or students you were going to say trash but because its you its fine. Its not fair imwe basakalanyongo.
Lupando Mwape for President
Instead of wasting money just holding unproductive workshops countrywide, strenghten the capacities of contrllor of Government transport at district level and make them accountable. We need to see results not just hear about workshops.
Tired song,Tell that to Ministers & Directors @ Ministries.Dont 4get the PS’s
if they couldn’t beat them they joined them …………….so no one to regulate.PERIOD!
The problem we have is that people in top positions are not very sure of their safety of those positions because anything at anytime can happen. Hence the misuse of GRZ vehicles because they know that they wont be afforded another chance to have such facilities. As a result it is difficult to control because the culprits are normally big fishes in the arena.
True and the TOs have no say. A single PS having three cars or even four sometimes. One for himself, one to do the work at the lodge/house he is building, the other for the children and family, the other for the wife and lastly if all goes well for the secretary. And then they want to say Transport Officers finshi na finshi. Tell the VIPs first and the work of the TOs will be easier. An employee has a funeral and you told to put in fuel and give the driver K50 pin pocket money. A boss has a funeral and almost all the buses or cars at the ministry go for the burial. Total crap!
Just go to school ladies and gentlemen or start a kantemba and buy your own rides. Dotcoms are now affordable. That’s the way forward
The govt should dispose of most of its vehicles and get fuel efficient vehicles and only one per minister.fuel allowance must be scraped.The colossal salary increments will cater for fuel.
Don we have our own rides!
Ha, our GRZ vehicle is always carrying chicken feed!
#20 In as much as there is abuse of govt transport, I think you are being economical with the truth. Which ministry is this which you refer to? At our ministry, the practice is as follows; PS, 2 Deputy Ministers & the Minister are entitled to two vehicles each, one for official use and the other for domestic use not the false picture you’re painting. Our transport is monitored closely. The PS approves each request for weekend pass and trips outside Lusaka. The situation has improved in this Mwanawasa era although several bad seeds remain in the system.
Has the Zambian Government thought of investing in CCTV?