Thursday, March 28, 2024

Nyimba Bus accident: operators appear before RTSA

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Proprietor of the Zambia-Malawi bus, which killed thirty-five people in Nyimba District in the Eastern Province, have been given up to Friday this week to submit a Report to the Road Transport and Safety Agency-RTSA explaining why they should continue operating.

RTSA Acting Director Martin Mbangu says it is clear that the driver was over speeding going by the distance covered within a short time between Chipata and Nyimba.

Mr Mbangu told ZNBC News that RTSA is also investigating allegations that the bus driver was given a time schedule within, which to arrive in Lusaka by the owner of the bus.

He also says owners of the truck, which was involved in the accident, have been directed to submit a report why the driver carried passengers.

The proprietor of the Zambia-Malawi bus which was involved in an accident last week appeared before RSTA on Tuesday.

Thirty four people died on the spot while 20 others have gone blind following the accident involving a truck and the Zambia Malawi Bus.

The truck was carrying lime at the time of accident.

ZNBC

27 COMMENTS

  1. If he does not properly defend himself and offer appologies and help the family of the victims bury their beloved ones. ban him.

    • That is how you think. Have you even read the possibility of the owner giving the driver time limit for arrival? Please shut up and let serious people comment. We are talking about death here.

    • It is you who should shut up. WALASA..You don’t understand that these passenger transports are to departure and arrive at their destination on schedules. Aeroplanes, buses, trains, ships etc.. This bus could be eroute using a different driver.. e.g Lusaka -Kabwe or Returning to Chipata later that day. No one in business market would like not to keep an eye on his/her assets. Grow up and learn what business is all about.

    • OMG Nothing to do with owner… with that shallow thinking mentality you forever be treated like cattle…will never have  modern transport system!!

  2. I thought RTSA was going to investigate and depending on there findings ban the operator from our roads. How do things in this country work.

  3. @4 You beat me to that. 

    This is the problem in Zambia. Quick fix! Investigate first before you do anything.

    Infact a public inquiry is ideal in such. 

    Revoke his licence and then what? Another 40 lives tomorrow?

    Ever heard of the saying chasing your own tail? 

    Sit down and look at the broader picture. Quick fix will not

     take us anywhere. More like what that Dr Ngoma was saying about

    Mobile hospitals hey! 

  4. Unfortunately development is expensive. Much as I have criticised 

    Dr Ngoma and most of his articles, I agree with his idea of revamping the

     rail network. At the time I was leaving Zambia thieves were stealing railway sleepers on the 

    CB. When developed countriers are FORCING people to use public transport

    Zambians are competing about who drives a bigger car.

  5. revoke then wat??? let him continue operations,its u pipo who complain when a bus is travelin @ 40km/hr plus how many licenses are u going 2 revoke coz its assured,evry year theres @tleast 1 major accident.CR and others have crash time without number

    • @ 8: you are right about travellers complaining when the bus is slow. I remember an incident years ago when ‘tamanga’ women were urging the driver to go faster than 100 km because they had to go to CB and return to Lusaka the same day. The driver refused and asked other passengers if they wanted him to go a lot faster. Of course, we all refused and arrived on the CB in one piece. I wish we had more drivers like this exemplary one.

  6. revoke then wat??? let him continue operations,its u pipo who complain when a bus is travelin @ 40km/hr plus how many licenses are u going 2 revoke coz its assured,evry year theres @tleast 1 major accident.CR and others have crash time without numberhttp:-w

  7. Revoking his license is not the solution, some drivers are just careless themselves and that doesnt have to do with the employers atase. Just investigate throrouly and depending on your findings, you can penalise the Owner if they are somewhat found wanting…

  8. WHY BLAME THE OWNERS OF THE BUS AND THE TRUCK,IF THE DRIVERS OVER LOADED PASSENGERS AND WERE SPEEDING IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE OWNERS .IF WE START BLAMING THE OWNERS THAN THERE WILL NO BUSES AND TRANSPORTERS DOING BUSINESS IN ZAMBIA.ALL OVER THE WORLD BUS DRIVERS ARE GIVEN TIME TO REACH THERE DESTINATIONS SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN GIVING TIME. IN ZAMBIA IF THE BUS DRIVERS AND TRUCK DRIVERS ARE NOT GIVEN THERE TIME THAN THESE CHAPS WILL TAKE 48 HOURS TO REACH KAFUE FROM LUSAKA.THE RTA SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THESE VEHICLE WERE ROAD WORTHY OR NOT AND IF IT WAS NOT THAN THEY SHOULD SUMMON THE OWNERS AND NOT TO JUST THREATHEN THEM WITH CLOSIND DOWN THEIR BUSINESS. COME ON GUYS BE REALISTIC ,TALK SENSE NOT JUST START BARKING.

  9. RTSA please conduct a public hearing .35 people is too much.Interview those people who were on the bus.take the driver to court on behalf of the people,this is murder.Baning and suspending operators ‘licenses do not work because the same buses just change colours and start operating in under different names.

  10. Please don’t fool us; RTSA is the most corrupt institution in Zambia, look at the process of vehicle inspection and Re-registration, let alone the drivers licenses, they are all thieves including road traffic police, This bus came all the way from Chipata, how would they claim it was overloaded.

    Despite this tragic accident: Clean your own house than being reactive.

    Get serious Acting Director else you will not get that post, there a lot other Zambians that can do that job better.

  11. @#3 Overspeeding was induced by the operator who gave the driver time limit. That is expected time of arrival. It is all due to operators interferrance. On the othe other hand overloading the bus by over 10 passengers is entirely the driver’s blame because no operator will force a driver to overload. Traffic officers must take bigger blame for allowing overloaded vehicles on the roads.

  12. Rubbish, what report they want from the owners??? These are the same people who certified that the bus and the truck where road worth.. giving green light to make use of them. Usually every year each vehicle not new brand should undergo inspection to determine its fitness. Speeding does not mean that the vehicles has defects. Shame to you RTSA Acting Director Martin Mbangu. You don’t fit for that job.. empty headed ..

  13. Really! What kind of manager’s are at RATSA? I can’t believe this kind of warped thinking! What does the operator have to do with the judgement of their crews on the road? Come on guys my thinking was these people were being summoned so as to find ways of compensating the passengers! RATSA must put its house in order and start looking into ways that would improve transportation and road safety. THERE IS NEED FOR SOME SERIOUS OVERHAUL AT RATSA and probably some kind of autonomy from police

  14. yes it is right that the owner should be locked up look at the minibuses in lusaka they are not road worthy but they still have road fitness and are on the road the buses have no lights no good triers some have no seats passengers sit on cement blocks so where is RTS or are they wating for a accident to happen

  15. Install GPS systems to monitor the buses.Do not let truck drivers stop or park at Bars and Bottle Stores.At road blocks check drivers Driving Under any Influences.Bond buses and trucks! Fire and prosecute any police officer who let a vehicle pass thru a road block that gets involve in any accident with defaults.

  16. Good concern from journalist on road conditions but foolishly blames Rupiah. Sata was local govt minister and did nothing either. The PF councillors lamently failed, elected into office but were just busy making land deals making situation worse. Its councils job to fix local roads not govt. I was in grade 5 in and I’m in my late 30’s and roads are still bad. Kaunda, Chiluba, Mwanawasa and now Rupiah have had the same problem. At least work will start soon. The major problem is just over speeding, drunk driving and people with licences that don’t need to be driving. Road traffic rules are there for a reason, some zambians just don’t see that way. 35 people dead, this man needs to be set as an example for families lost bread winners and loved ones alike – was murder.

  17. LT you should write your own articles instead of half baked stories from other news media: What is the name of Bus company? How many passengers where on the truck? what was it carrying? How many passengers was the Bus overloaded by? 20 people are blinded by what???

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