Thursday, March 28, 2024

ZLDC urges the public to make submissions on check points,road blocks and fines, for review of Road transport and safety Act

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File picture:Give us a bribe...Traffic police officers confront a public service bus driver at Longacres in Lusaka
File picture:Give us a bribe…Traffic police officers confront a public service bus driver at Longacres in Lusaka

Zambia Law Development commission (ZLDC) research Officer Otema Musuka has urged the public to contribute and make submissions on the review of the road transport and safety Act during the public sittings going on across the nation to ensure that it stands the test of time.

Mr Musuka said the review of the road transport and safety Act should respond to the issues of human rights, road safety and jurisdiction.

Speaking during a briefing of heads of Government departments and community leaders in the Kabwe council chamber, Mr Musuka said the review is expected to define the responsibilities of key stakeholders in road safety to mitigate overlapping.

File: A traffic policeman attending to a motorist at a roadblock near Chikankata in Mazabuka.
File: A traffic policeman attending to a motorist at a roadblock near Chikankata in Mazabuka.

“I want to take up this opportunity to urge the public to make submissions during the review of the road transport and safety Act on issues around check points, road blocks, jurisdiction, also the issues to do with the fines and the fast track court”, Mr Musuka said.

He said coordination among all road safety players is key to enhance confidence in all road users across the nation.Mr Musuka said it is important to understand the process of road
safety and the regulations around that and investigate the processes and procedures followed and how they are employed.

“As a commission we are not only looking at RTSA locally, we are also taking best practices from other jurisdictions, South Africa or elsewhere that have got similar systems because we are a
commonwealth,” Mr Musuka said.

Police officer manning the police check point known in some circles as officers ATMs
Police officer manning the police check point known in some circles as officers ATMs

8 COMMENTS

  1. Fines should be minimal and affordable and payments should be done at banks and take the deposit slip to police to cancel the offence. Corruption can only be minimised if police subcontract private firms to conduct road blocks and vehicle road worthiness. Police should be left with crimes and supervision of these private firms. Take the hands of police away from cash at all cost.

  2. It’s so sad corruption and incompetence are the norm in Zambia.
    No policeman or woman should handle cash payments in the streets let alone at the police stations. Some of the traffic “offenses” are genuine and their are proven ticketing and payments systems that can ensure the resources are deposited with the treasury.
    Reforms in Zambia police are way overdue!!

  3. In other developing countries like Rwanda for instance, fines are paid into a Bank account and one has to clear with the Traffic department afterwards. Check points can be used only for education and enforcement of Traffic rules. For minor offenses, one can be issued with a warning notice and given an ultimatum to rectify their respective situation on the vehicle etc. Educational programs from RTSA should be visible to a common man on the street rather than have them in Board rooms. Why pay cash on the roads when money can be Banked?

  4. Paying of fines should be through banks. True but this would not resolve the issue of bribery. RTSA will still collect bribes. Our police force needs proper training and to have respect for the public. We should look upon the police or RTSA as people who help us in the community. Let us begin with the uniform. It needs to be smarter. Uniform regulations need to be enforced. A point system needs to be introduced whereby traffic offenses are shown on the license. After a number of points the license is taken away. This will take away undesirable characters without road etiquette off our roads.

  5. traffic police are all corrupt and useless. they are the major contributors to road traffic accidents. whenever they see a vehicle they see cash. we don’t have the police in Zambia. we only have thieves and political caders like Katanga and stella

  6. Only in Zambia, do I hold my belongings tight, and tread fast in the opposite direction… when I see a man in uniform.

  7. @official victim. so true! if i know theres a road block somewhere i try my best to go a different route. these petty thieves in uniform have now become robbers! every time the fines go up, their bribing demands go up! even if u have done nothing wrong they gang up and make u wrong.

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