The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has engaged the Insurance Authority Board to ensure that erring motorists who knock down and damage infrastructure pay for repairs.
In a telephone interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, LCC Public Relations Manager Habeenzu Mulunda said the council is working hand in hand with the Zambia police to ensure that information on people causing accidents is urgently communicated to the local authority.
Mr. Mulunda however disclosed that it has been a challenge to identify and capture erring motorists especially at night as the council has no officers on the ground to provide them with data concerning the accidents.
“Insurance Authority Board collects monies on behalf of the council to ensure that there is no erring motorist who gets away without being charged,” Mr. Mulunda stated.
Mr. Mulunda observed that the Zambia Police reach the accident scene faster than the council hence the need for consensus in relaying information to the local authority.
In the recent past, motorists have been knocking down street lights, traffic lights and other various vital road features erected along the busy roads.
you do need to capture us, let every motorist pay a small fee through our insurer so that we pass on the risk to the insurance companies, it we pay for example K5 per motoka, there are over a million cars on the road, it would repair every damage done to such infrastructure. so insurance must cover a risk for such facilities.
@Steve, I think this can help as it will be simpler and easier to execute than to run after the culprit or wait for reconciliation of accident reports between the police and insurance for the councils to act on repairs. In fact nobody in their right mind can drive the car to be hitting street of traffic lights. These happen as a matter of accidents. However, a pool of K5.00s collected from all motorist from RTSA would work faster but it has to be all local authorities as vehicles are mobile do not stay in areas they are registered in. A claim for repair cost should always verifed with an insurance company’s on spot verification otherwise money can be lost in fictitious repairs!
Its a good idea… for a DISCIPLINED people. But its not for Zambia. Imagine a damage of K100 extrapolated to K10,000… And the oFfiCEr walks away with sOmEThiNg fOr A dRiNk.
The traffic police must be throwing a party on this news… another opportunity to squeeze money out of motorists.
This is what we mean when we advocate for decentralization. These are issues that can be dealt with by by-laws. Even traffic police should be under local authorities & not state police.
This is an issue that should be dealt with by the driver’s insurance company and LCC’s insurance company same way accidents are dealt with!!
What is killing us is that we have a fixed rate for insurance premiums. Insurance premiums are supposed to be based on the driving record, age of the driver and vehicle, and location.
Why must someone who has never had an auto accident pay the same insurance premium with one who has 10 auto accidents?
When one has an accident the insurance company should take care of the repairs for both public property and the insured car.
The insurance company will thus increase the premium for the party concerned because they are risky drivers ( the higher the risk, the higher the premium)