Central Province to require two drivers on board for long distance passenger buses

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Tanzanian long distance buses before taking off at Intercity bus station in Lusaka

Central Province Police Commissioner Solomon Jere has stated that long distance passenger buses crossing the Central Province will be required to have two drivers on board. Dr Jere said that all buses discovered to have one driver will be impounded. Dr Jere says the drivers will be thoroughly scrutinized to ascertain whether they have valid driver’s licenses.

Meanwhile, Dr Jere has given truck drivers a two week ultimatum to stop their transit into the province after 19:00 hours. Dr Jere said that the measures were aimed at alleviating road traffic accident related deaths.

He said that the influx of traffic during the night had contributed highly to road accidents because of poor lighting. Dr Jere said that Central Province accounts for the highest number of road accidents related death.

[ZNBC]

70 COMMENTS

  2. Ok, I guess it is another job creation PF style. I would not be surprised if the president announced that they have doubled the jobs in the long distance drivers sector. 100% job growth in less than 90 days. Awesome and kudos to PF and spread it to other sectors of the economy..Lol

    Come on guys, where is the increase in productivity and economic output by this move. This is just increasing the cost of doing business. Can you really go anywhere in Zambia without passing through central province. This is a daft move. Why not ensure that drivers are well rested before making these trips. What happened to labours laws. Do they only apply to chinese people.

    Also why not working on lighting up the roads than make trucks move on roads during peak passenger traffic?

    • Sir, your sense of humour is well placed! I however, do not agree with you on the cost of doing business argument. Unless buses are fitted with tracking technology to ensure that drivers get enough rest during journeys, I think this is a sensible move. It is however not fully thought out; there is no definition of what ‘long distance’ entails, and in my opinion, this should have been based on the number of hours that someone is allowed to drive before they are forced to take a break. The hours would then have to be based on verifiable studies on human performance. Lighting the roads would help, but the country does not have the resources to undertake such a project – there are other priorities, not to mention the lack of capacity in the electric generation sector.

    • MMD CHIEF BOOTLICKER. no wonder you are still stack in south africa where gun shoots is daily music in your ears,i wonder why being an mmd bootlicker you were not thought off by the MMD . i feel sorry for you, you seem to have no sense at all. the measures taken is to prevent accidents you FOOL. no wonder MMD WILL BE NO MORE no zambian with all their sense would vote for pepole like you..SO YOU JUST PISS OFF .

    • No one will convince me that this was written by “blood and flesh”. It sounds like Zamtel automated response if one cannot go thru: “……………., this is a recording”

  4. more commmissioners more ideas.GOOD IDEA SIR.PUT ALL THE LONG DISTANCE BUSES ON GPS TO MONITOR SPEED AND WHERE ABOUT 24 HOURS.OUR LIFE IN YOU HAND.MAZYANDO AND SHALOMO ARE RACING ON THE ROADS. RESTRICT BUS SPEEP @ 60 KM/HOUR.

    • I’m astonished that people have voted this comment down. You don’t want dual carriage highways? Surely this is the best way to improve road safety. The so-called Great North Road in its current state is a death trap with far more traffic than the road were designed for. Simply put, too many truck driving slow, private cars that get frustrated and attempt to overtake when they shouldn’t, and buses doing…. well, God knows that they do – if from Tanzania then probably over-speeding.

  8. good move this, trucks should stop moving during the night. Though am not sure about the isue of two drivers, not a very economic decision

  9. I do not understand this and will never understand it forever.To grow the economy for prosperity and infrastructure development,you need your economy to run 24/7.Now if you stop trucks carrying materials,spare parts and supplies required to boost the economy how do you expect to fight poverty as a country? What we need in the road transport sector is to set high standard of safety that has to be monitored and measurement accordance of the law.Construct more dual carriage ways on major and international roads in the country.Train and equip high way patrol police officers so that they can enforce the law 24/7.

    • Imwe ba Jabs, thats why there is planning kaili. Accidents happen frequently in the night and its a case of emergency to address that, thats why he has put up measures to alleviate more deaths due to poorp lighting on the roads. The next step he/they will have to take is what you have suggested in the later part of your blog.

  10. I hope these are not just empty words ba Dr Jere impress your new boss MCS. In reality, how is this going to work? You have created a rule for Central Province alone. Why didn`t consult with your colleagues in other provinces to come up with a unified measure.

  11. That is a good proposal from Dr. Solomon Jere. However, government should do more on the road infrastructure. The Great North Road from Serenje to Nakonde is a death trap. Most of the road accidents on that road can be attributed mainly to the poor state the road. Fatigued drivers driving on that road just worsen the situation. So many lives and goods worth millions of dollars have been lost on that road.

  12. Though the idea is good, I don’t think this is legal and he would risk being sued by the transport operators if he implemented it in this form. Moreover, transport operators may also demand some kind of increase in the bus fares to take care of the invreased costs (drivers cost money).

  15. Not only having two drivers Dr Jere,you should ensure that just near National Service of after the Barracks,you should station Permanent Posts with Breathalyzers to screen Bus and Truck drivers alike. Ensure your staff are rotated regularly, and this surely help,on top of what u have just mentioned. Minister should also Enact this Law.
    On the other hand,Lodge owners in Kabwe will cash in on accommodation.

  18. If this is what causes the road accidents then good move. Human life is priceless.

    However, effort should be made to ensure we have good enough roads and lighting. We can learn from other countries how they manage to control traffic.

    E.g in UK, I think a bus driver by law is not allowed to drive more than 10 hrs per 24hrs, we have speed cameras on roads, road fines are hefty thus prohibitive, trucks and buses tend to have speed control devices on them. etc.
    Also, driver discipline and courtesy is important. In Zambia we seem to lack road discipline and courtesy, its like a war zone.

  19. You forgot to mention poor roads were drivers can not even tell whether they are driving on the right side of the road or not (or if they are even on the road). Invest in good roads please!

  20. what is the sense in this?? so if i am travelling from western province i can drive all the way from western province with one driver then call uncles in central province to meet me before we reach road block pass with him then leave him ka 50 pin and continue on my way. use your brains u foolish zambians. such a law can only work if implemented country wide. u cant implement such a thing locally or provincially and expect it to make any sense. u chimps. my white blonde wife says good afternoon, she looks lovely and is sat across from me lookign very appetising. i am home for lunch and yes we had a quickie when i got back.just keeping u informed. deuces bane

  21. Are we using Federal Law.The police can enforce any Law written or Unwritten as long as it is for safety measures. Remember Tugili were banned during election time. Boma Ni Boma!

  22. No. 9 Ricky Bobby?: You are right. There is no law that compels a transporter to employ two drivers on one bus. Secondly: what is the definition of long distance? Is the cause of RTAs fatigue to require such a measure?

  23. A CALL TO DRIVERS WITHOUT JOBS.JUST GO TO CENTRAL PROVINCE.LINE UP NEAR KAPIRI AND JUST JUMP ON A BUS WITH ONE DRVER TILL YOU GET OUT OF THE PROVINCE AND WAIT AGAIN FOR ANOTHER BUS ON THE OTHERSIDE.

    BA DOCTOR SURE, WHAT TYPE OF REASONING IS THIS

  24. Thats no solution to our accidents Dr Jere.Trucks move well @ nyt so why shud thy park as early as 19hrs b4 ur kids evn go to bed…?Have you been to other countries where Police officers under Traffic & general duties are on 24/7…?but alas in our country traffic officers do knock off @ 1700hrs…..!equip ur men well & let truck drivers do their job…….You ve no legal backing in ur opinion Dr.Stop talking too juch & work kwietlllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyy.

  25. The low number of accidents in relation to the volume of traffic on European roads is not simply because roads are properly designed with adequate or high level security features; rather its because of the enforcement of driver regulations for trucks and buses. Goodle “Rules on Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs” and you will find out why the commissioner is trying to start the process. This has been long over-due. Drivers work some harsh conditions. My brother is a driver with a private retail group; he drives from Nakonde to Mansa; via Mpika, in a single night. That for me is exploitation of the highest order.

  26. If the rules are to be introduced; then they government can start working on road networks, and road signs. The approach is right, stepwise, or increamental, until you reach there in 30years time; thats how you develop infrastructure. Start with the worst areas; e.g. Chingola Kitwe; Kitwe Mufulira; Mazabuka Kafue; Lusaka -chisamba; Ndola-Kapiri. If the government is to section 10km of road packages of these roads and make them into dual carriage, they would reduce the bottle neck. Do this in the next 1 year; Phase two; 2 years, do 20km sections. Ok enough free information.

  27. For a start this is a good move but am worried it can be the final solution to the problem thereby avoiding the real cause of accidents. Accidents don’t just happen, they are cause by human factors e.g drink driving, unmaintained vehicles, poor road maintenance etc. Rarely are accidents caused by natural events like flooding on roads. So the starting point outlined is fine cause it will solve the imminent danger of tired or drunk drivers. Welldone ba Jere. The next step is to start working on road infrastructure and maintain them. # 24 & 25 has summed it up well and the PF govt need to take note.

  28. Nowhere in the world do you get such madness orchestrated by this primary school teacher. It does not make sense at all. Sinec when did the police start making laws?. If he has been to Europe its business 24 hours. No wonder we are very poor. Sata should fire this lunatic before he affects the poor economy. Its not about driving in the night but competency thats all. When you fail to monitor don’t take trouble to business houses. Silly my heart breeds of ager. Mwanya!!!! 

  29. Surely decisions such as these are well beyond the authority of the Central Province Police Commissioner to make. Whether the ideas of having two drivers for buses and no trucks after 19:00 are good, bad, or indifferent, these rules have major implications for all provinces and Zambian commerce more generally so should not be left for any one province, let alone the province’s police commissioner, to make.

    Far better for the Commissioner would be to ensure that trucks and buses have driving in Central Province have proper headlights, tires with treads, and are otherwise fundamentally fit to be on the road. God knows what they are checking at roadblocks when you see the state of vehicles they allow past.

  30. @bootlicker u r a shallow minded and not fit for who ever u work for. it seems u r a jack of all trades. if u cant take good ideals which can save life’s then hell knows wot u stand for.  Great north road is a HAZARD  and the ideal is justified. 

  31. I just hope the Police would be equipped with portable Breathalysers to test both the co-driver and driver as I can guarantee you the co-driver will be high as kite whilst off the driver’s seat. I wonder what the penalties for non compliance are?
    If they bus companies are smart, then it will force them to incorporate multi-tasking duties, that spare driver becomes the conductor/ baggage handler…in advanced countries the driver multi-tasks he/she is the conductor, luggage handler, customer service rep. etc.

  32. If you are a driver in the UK then am disappointed with your remarks. Don’t you know how hard it is to drive in the UK countryside where there are no street lights? Those are the conditioons that exists on our roads in Zed, to make matters worse, there are not pot holes but bathtubs on the roads. How then can you use your gained driving competency to drive in such conditions. The man has alluded to the fact that statistically, central province has the highest roads accidents at night due to long diatnce drunk drivers driving on pot holed roads. Am sure you know someone who has lost their lives on that road driving at night. Come one support the efforts of this man. We have lost lawyers, judges, politicians, etc on that section of the road whose deaths had a negative impact on the economy.

  34. A good move. Dr. Jere should go further and stop all bus movements after 22.00. In TZ, buses do not move beyond 22.00 and because of that, it is very rare to find bus accidents in TZ. We must go back to the system where buses from Lsk to Nakonde, Lsk to Mpulungu, Lusaka to Chipata etc leave the intercity bus terminal at 06.00 hrs and not at 18.00 hrs. Good work Mr. Jere.

  35. Come on ba Jere.Tucks normally travel in the night.You will just be contributing to traffic congestions during the day.

  37. Jungle law. The business community will most likely object and offer alternative solutions. Dont they have ZACCI or some Central Province Chamber of Commerce to discuss with?

  38. Maybe the thing of having to drivers is ok! but the thing of stoping all trucks to move after 19hrs. it does not make economic sense at all, it will only make trafic congested during the day, just thinking

  39. Road safety must be a priority and if the law says there should be 2 drivers then let it be.How many people have perished on the road and still do?

  40. It’s so embrassing how ignorant some of these cuuunts are on here….it seems everything depends on political afiliation and all development for the good of the people is overlooked.
    You are the same idiots dying in accidents or attending funerals every other week cause some poor soul has died due to negligence and/or incompetence of travel operators. Like someone up here said, any rule that saves lives is law in itself.

  41. its a wrong move….trucks move well at night coz of the raising temperatures…Allow me to outline a few suggestion as a means of a road

  42. long distance buses hv had always two or more drivers .i do not understand this move can someone shed more light on what has prompted the commissioner to make this announcement?

  43. And what if another commissioner say for Lusaka demands that no uncircumcised drivers on Lusaka Province roads, what are you going to do? This is the problem with a govt that just tals without planning comprehensively. Yes, we understand there are too many accidents on our roads not just in Central Province. But the solution is multi-faceted. First we need to to look and the state and capacity of our roads. Basically our roads need widening and dual carriageways on all major motorways. This would increase capacity and hopefully make our roads a little more durable. Second we need to look at lighting of these roads which has been very poor. And the thirdly, we need to look at vehicle safety standards and driver competencies. Then we can start enforcing the laws to ensure safety for all.

  44. NONSENSE, fix the lights and roads. that way your government will be seen to be creating employment and making the country a better place

  46. 1.What Com shud have said is that there will be more visible Police presence through out Central Province in the form of patrol cars, breathliser etc. to ensure only roadworthy vehicles and competent and sober drivers are permitted passage in ‘his’ territory.Policing should not stiffle Commerce and peoples freedoms generally.

    2. Com has no power to make law for the general citizenry. His is to enforce what is in the statutes kalas.

  48. #4 HAMBILWI-ABANA
    Excellent idea put them all on GPS tracking system. I hope politicians won’t frustrate Dr Jere’s good intentions to reduce road carnage. We finally heading somewhere. JUST SIMPLE COMMON SENSE

  49. A wise man from the east. I know I won’t be wrong to state that the only people objecting to a logical life saving plan implemented here are my mbuyas mostly Bemba bloggers. Do not insult me, but some bembas live much to be desired. Always want to be seen as right and never wanting others to prosper. Implement road regulations country wide this is Amazing commissioner Jere.

  50. #4 and #48: there is a system called Tachograph; it can be analogue or manual. It collects all the data about speed, when teh truck (or bus) started being driven and for how long. This graph is personalised; everh HGV driver will have one; and can only drive max 4hrs 45min without stoping; after that they will have to rest for an hour; and again 4hours 15min. After that, their shift is over; they cannot drive until the following day. I may have made a mistake on the hours to workl but am not far off. This system works; its fitted to the vehicles and each driver moves with their own graph that they insert in the machine as soon as they start driving. If caught flauting the regulations, penalties are harsh for the driver and the company.

  51. @50 orgasm Tembo you are right i think your idea is the best than all the nonsense above it took you to be last with sense except you your name is an insult if not an abomination to be said in public. infact in my language its a sentence.

  53. Jere has a point but it needs a lot of polishing and b4 he rushd to speak, he should have waited and get facts correct and have the law back him. Whats causing accidents in CP? What is long a distance journey? That needs definition because not every heavy vehicle is going to TZ or Congo. Remember trucks carry goods and if they face delays, shortages will be on the rise. We need higways built up to avoid on-coming vehicle accidents but whilst we await on that dream there are other measures we can employ. Each heavy vehicle driver should have a log book in which all driving hours are recorded and stamped at all major roadblocks. Maximum driving hours and rest periods should be implemented in log books to avoid anyone breaking the law and all big buses should have a speed governors

  54. How about first repairing roads and then introduce a system where all road unworthy vehicles are forced off the road until they are inspected and passed by the road safety board. banning vehicles at night is not the answer. Thats the problem with having untravelled old farts in leadership. The drivers are not the only problem, its a lot of things that need to be checked such as roads, vehicles, street lighting etc.

  55. After losing many friends in RTAs in Zambia, I support this move wholeheartedly. We can’t continue losing brilliant young people in Zambia at this rate.

  56. @49 you such a let dawn that you fail to reason because of your tribalism, are sure it makes sense stopping all trucks to move in the night do you and Mr. Jere know how much money the country will loose with such a stupid law?

  57. This may sound like a good move, but they are others issues to look at, first mke sure that.drives can only drive for 10 hrs within a 24 hr period, they sould be monitored by the use of logon books this should apply to all commercail drivers, secondly all ccommercial vehicles should be inspected at any point and certified to be road worthy for long distance, thw state of the roads too needs to be improved at aall cost. Bit with tje currupt cops we have I would how this is going to work, i need a system that will make transports follow and if the fail they should be fined big time so the try not to do it again, wwe can do ot but first improve the condition of seservice for tje cops.

  58. But the only problem is the police, even if they discover their is only one driver, they will say” uzaziba vocita- tipaseko ya drinki uyende!
    So accidents wil still continue.

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