The Commuters Rights Association of Zambia has welcomed suggestions to restrict long distance buses to traveling during the day only,in view of the increasing number of road accidents which are claiming lives.
Association President, Aaron Kamuti told Qfm in an interview that it is no longer safe for bus drivers to keep moving in the night following the increase in number of accidents.
Mr. Kamuti noted that there is a lot of misbehaving and excitement by some bus drivers during the night thereby risking people’s lives.He added that usually the buses are overloaded and the drivers are also stressed after driving for long hours with very little rest.
He said government should also compel long distance bus operators to have two drivers per trip in order to reduce the road accidents that are mostly as a result of fatigue.
Mr. Kamuti has further urged commuters to be on alert each time they are traveling long distance and challenge the bus drivers whenever they notice any sign of tiredness in the drivers or drunkenness.
[QFM]
Very retrogressive thinking! Are there no other ways of preventing accidents? We can not compete in this global economy. Zambia as a whole, in terms of area occupied per person per Km, is bigger than our current population. For it to be managed properly we need more population or we need to work very hard, otherwise, we can not compete with bigger economies.
At this time, we need to be talking about our country working 24 hours in transportation as well as other businesses. Let us think about other ways to prevent accidents.
I can’t agree more than what you have said.China and other world best performing economies run 24/7 meaning there is not time for the economy to stop for a rest or nap.If its fatigue that’s causing the road carnage involving long distance buses,the Government should put up some measures to do with human failures-allowing bus owners to manage fatigue for their personnel.Then Bus Operators should also address their Bus crew on the importance of sticking professional driving ethics and the importance of showing personal leadership whilst on duty.We are reaping for relaxing our laws on drivers certification and licensing.We had few Bus accidents during the time of UBZ despite the company have wrecks for buses because drivers were going through MIMOSA training than the current crops drivers…
as Ng’wang’wazis then Konena (Conductor) to Tolomozi and eventually a chauffeur/ driver. Truck/Bus drivers these are professional careers that should be considered highly and seriously.As long as We do not take driving seriously we continuing having unnecessary road accidents involving long and short distance buses.The other point to look at is our road network as well.We should find and come up alternate routes for heavy duty truck like our brother in South Africa have done.Other road users like pedestrians & cyclists should be considered in helping them when and how to use the road. RSTA only concentrate on the drivers/ motorists leaving out the cyclist and pedestrians. This so called my rights on the road have brought a lot of deaths whereby people have stopped behaving normally @all
Since speeding is a major factor in these fatal crashes, the police and RTSA must establish a phone line to which commuters can call if their driver are speeding and be able to respond to such calls promptly and arrest the driver.
monitor the quality of all imported tyres
otherwise make it a legal requirement that all passenger buses must have speed limiters
above all make all major highways dual carriages to stop head-on collisions.
WHY ARE U RUNING AWAY FROM THE POINT WHEN WE ALL KNOW THAT PF AND ITS BOSS ARE BEHIND THESE ACCIDENTS
When KK was in power, there was a terrible accident on the road to Luangwa Bridge. The accident claimed a lot lives. Investigations revealed that the driver had been drinking. Was PF in power then?
abena judge ? ifi fyamba nomba te debate iyi mulechaya apa..
24 hrs road blocks should be equiped with alcoholic breathers.
Nice suggestion analyst.
Nice suggestion but this will not work given the high levels of corruption in Zambia.
REDUCE ROAD ACCIDENT BY BUYING PATROL CARS FOR POLICE OFFICERS. KABWE ROAD SHOULD HAVE ATLEAST 10 CARS PATROLING THE ROAD FROM LUSAKA TO KABWE DAILY NOT ROAD BLOCKS. STOP ROAD BLOCKS. THIS WAY EVERY DRIVER WILL KNOW THAT POLICE OFFICERS CAN ARRIVE AT ANY TIME ONE MAKES A MISTAKE. LITER OUR ROADS WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND YOU WILL SEE THE SANITY THAT WILL EXIST ON OUR ROADS.
To reduce the carnage the following ought to be done:
increase the size of lanes on our roads (they are too narrow for our trucks and buses eg Chingola / Kasumbalesa interantional, Chingola/ Solwezi roads )
Marks on the roads do not exist (which road in has traffic lines re painted after fading?)
Pot holes (only attended to after a provincial official’s vehicle gets damaged)
RTSA has no research department that analyses the current design of roads in relation to weight of the cargo and speed of vehicles)
Incidents on the roads need to be analysed to find the causation. (second RTSA officials to some safety dept. on any of the mines on the Copper belt to learn how to analyse incidents and accidents)
Those driving at night should sleep during during the day.
Vehicle check is required
Retrogressive thinking indeed , that is never going to solve the problem of road accidents in our country what about the poor state of roads that we have are they not a major contributing factor ? you cannot restrict a population as big as Zambians to traveling only during the day , in fact the ones who are talking own cars , so lets be positive and think forward not backwards
Goods must be moved by trains.Trucks contribute greatly to the damage done to our roads.Yes,trucks and buses must travel during the day only.
TB4, Analysit and concerned have brains. I agree with you. Look at the way we are managing our roads. What does RTSA look for? Is not the following?
Design of the road, construction and maintenance.If road unsuitable , close it and charge the roads deptment.
state of mind of drivers, training, and work culture.
Seminars for employers of drivers to learn the fatigue factor.
Maintence and records of vehicles.
Our Traffic officers do not know civil works and interpretation of road condition is basic. RTSA should advise how the road should be.
4 # of KCM is closed by MSD cant RTSA also close bad Roads?
I don’t think prohibiting buses from moving at night is a solution. The 2 driver system may possibly work better. RATSA could also possibly engage one of the tracker companies to install trackers that monitor the speeds at which the buses move with heavy penalties being meted out for any transgressors. Operators should pay RATSA for such a service. A system through which drivers are permitted to drive only a certain number of hours (as is done with pilots) could also be devised. Implementation of such a system is something that we would have to debate in order to ensure that it works well. For those that want to blame PF for everything, please be pragmatic and bring forward solutions.
I have been at Kapiri-Mposhi weighbridge several times on the bus and the practice there amazes me. The bus would weigh and if found to be heavier, it will leave the weigh bridge and ask some passengers to go out of the bus then it goes back. If it is still heavy it keeps doing the rounds until the bus is almost empty with passengers and our officers at weighbridge allow that. Then i ask myself, is the weight of human beings not part of the tonnage of the bus? Honestly, i have failed to understand the logic!
The weigh bridge saga also amazes me! I dont know whom they fool
Ban night travel for buses that is all to save more lives.Also certain goods can go by train so that our roads are not damaged.
IMWE ZAMBIANS THIS IS SATANISM . RATSA INVOLVE GOD IN THIS PROBLEM. CHURCH LEADERS LETS PRAY FOR THIS COUNTRY. NATUMISHIBA. MAY GOD CONFUSE YOUR LIVES YOU EVIL DOERS.
These Zambian roads are just deadly, very dark at night, you can hardly see a thing without full beam.. they need a lot of work and it will take a lot of time if we are not serious.
Not all road accidents are caused by bus drivers. Truck drivers and other motorists need to be checked as well. All drivers have to be checked. e.g. A bus driver can try to be very careful, what if a drunken truck driver (other motorist) causes the accident, Do we still blame the Bus Driver? And moreover these accidents do not only happen in the night, even during broad daylight they still happen. If a driver overspeeds, restricting him from driving at night may not make him stop overspeeding during the daytime. Lets educate and train our drivers to drive safely and to be alert at all times…. i.e. Defensive Driving.
Truckers also need to drive a certain number of hours within the 24 hour period. Buses are not the only problem….! Indiscipline and carelessness. We as pessengers also need to advocate for ourselves. If we note that a driver is driving carelessly, we need to gang up and advocate for our own safety. We the pessengers are always at the mercy of the bus (2 to 3 individuals) and yet the docile are always many in number (80)…! Learn to speak up and advocate for your own safely…..you docile Zambians. Safety kuisunga wamwine…..!
I wonder how this solves the problem if anything it exciasbates it as bus drivers will overspeed just to reach their destinations and avoid being caught out.
Why not strictly enforce the speed limit for the buses for starters and that includes passengers being vigilant.
We have put gps system on all power tools buses, whenever any of the drivers are overspeeding, we getting notification and the drivers are warned. We have also put our office numbers for passengers to alert us if the driver is misbehaving or over speeding, but the most complaint we get from our passengers is that our buses have become too slow. The other alternative which ratsa had imposed some years back was the inclusion of speed limiters. I don’t know why this died down
That’s a brilliant idea and should be standard practice fitting speed delimiters…most hire vans and commercial vehicles in Britain are fitted with them.
We also need rigorous fitness tests on the vehicle on our roads. Most of these vehicles imported into the country are destined for the scrap yard in the countries they are coming from because they are expired and cannot pass the fitness tests in their country of origin and instead of sending them to the scrap yard they are exported to countries like Zambia (as reconditioned but only in name) and still make a profit. We also need to stop the corrupt practice of buying driving licenses and modern highway fit for the 21ts century not these that were built in over fifty years ago and still remain the same today despite the increase in the volume of traffic in the country.
The government needs to build highways. Most of these accidents are head on collisions. With highways, major traffic moves in one direction minimizing accidents. This government has misplaced priorities. It’s borrowing money for projects that are important but not urgent, like a university in Muchinga province, a stadium in Mongu etc. Until we stop electing UNIP disguised as MMD and PF, we are going nowhere. We need young fresh leadership. I rest my case.
WHETHER DRIVING AT NIGHT OR DAYTIME THE OPPOSITION UPND ARE STILL GOING TO USE THEIR JUJU TO SACRIFICE PIPOZ LIVES, ONLY WAY IS NOT ALLOW UPND TO STATE HOUSE
Pf is known for such evil activities. Encourage bus,tax and truck drivers to go back to Driving Schools. Ratsa should stop testing and giving licenses to people who have not passed through any registered driving schools. Allow these schools do their job.