Minister of Transport and Communications Kapembwa Simbao has with immediate effect lifted the suspension of operating licenses for WADA CHOVU, Mazhandu Family Bus Services and Mr Aubrey Membe Bus Services.
The Road Transport and Safety Agency RTSA on Monday suspended operating for three bus operators for one month effective April 21, 2016.
But Mr Simbao says the decision to lift the suspension follows the representation from bus operators.
The minister has since called for a meeting with RTSA and the association of bus operators at his office to discuss measures that should be put in place to mitigate road traffic accidents.
Mr Simbao has also send his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the recent road traffic accidents involving Mazhandu, Wada Chovu and Mr Aubrey Membe Bus Services.
Meanwhile Wada Chovu Transport proprietor Charles Kabamba has said the lifting of suspension of his Buses operating licence by the Minister of Transport Kapembwa Simbao is a relief to his transport company.
Mr Kabamba has told The Independent Observer in an interview that Wada Chovu did not deserve to be treated the way the Road Safety and Transport Agency (RTSA) had opted to handle the matter.
RTSA had slapped Wada Chovu and Mazhandu Family Buses with one month suspension and Aubrey Mmembe Bus Services with three months suspension for road accidents which had happened in along Great North Road.
Mr Kabamba said when one person error it was not reason enough to believe that all had erred.
He said the suspension was like punishment to his transport firm.
Mr Simbao lifted the suspension of operating licenses for WADA CHOVU, Mazhandu Bus Services and Mr Aubrey Membe’s Bus Services.
The Minister has since called for a meeting with Bus operators and RTSA.
Confirmation that leaders consider ordinary Zambians’ life to be cheap. Laws and regulations can only apply to ordinary people. I have seen enough of the rot. Let the ordinary people’s lives be respected also, as we also have the right to live!
Nalyamo Simbao chi. ka. la chakwe!!
This case has a smell of corruption all over it. It is hard to explain how you ban someone and later lift the ban withing such a short time. How are we going to discipline them next time and also you are sending a wrong message to these operators, that lives don’t matter you can kill people and get your operator’s license the next day.
Always political interference, where was the so called minister all this time ? These buses will continue killing people because the owners know they can’t be punished. Why can’t you let RTSA do their job ?
Failed state. Crooks all over gvt
What a disgrace..the rot continues…and you will wonder and suggest prayers when the next accident occurs!!
This is unacceptable. Why is this minister interfering? People have died and somebody must be held accountable. This is why people get away with poor service delivery in Zambia. There is always someone ‘dubiously’ protecting them.
These ministers from the OPPOSITION MMD ARE BUSY DECOMPAINING PF.and pf doesn’t notice that.First it was KAINGO(leopard)closing our UNIVERSITIES without considering people’s views,now KEPAYE MBWA has done it again.There is corruption involved and there is no respect and feel of condolence to the beleaved families. if this continues,then Zambia is heading for mayhem.
Lives dont matter in your so called Christian nation simply pay for funerals and pray to your lord Jesus….case closed.
It was actually folly on the part of Zindaba Soko to suspend the operators without proper investigations. Asking them to show cause why is not enough investigation. A thorough scientific forensic, an inquiry led by transport experts, etc would do. But this most likely would point to the inadequacy of the road itself & thus add pressure on the authorities, so Zindaba chose to punish the weakest link.
Where are people like Henry Chipewo at times like these?
This is not the first time people have been killed by those 2 companies and they had not implemented recommendations by the road agency, that is why they were slapped with a suspension.
Simbao should have respected the decision made by RSTA, first and then call for the nonsense meeting later. We cannot doubt that he has been paid handsomely to lift the ban on these careless bus companies.
I wish to call upon the CSO’s to begin sensitising the public against using these dangerous buses. They are full of careless drivers who are immature and highly irresponsible. The owners of the buses just want cash at the end of the day even if it means killing someone to get rich. This is possible in Zambia today when ministers are hungry for money to use in their campaigns. What Simbao has done is outright immoral. He should have consulted his garden boy on what to do. Because the gardener uses public transport everyday and he knows what is involved.
What the PF thought was a…
There we go again. Poor Zambians lives do not natter to these people, always protecting the wrongdoers. The people who were killed in Zingalume are poor Zambians, if the soldiers had been deployed after the four murders, the rioting was not going to be there, what angered the people of Zingalume was that the murders continued even in the midst of police patrols. Keep the soldiers there and withdraw the licences of Mazhandu and Wada Chovu, otherwise we will think these deaths are being committed by politicians for August, 11, 2016 elections. We have been told that nine suspected ritual murderers are Zambian, tell us the nationalities of the other two. Zambians should be patriotic. if a foreigner sends you to kill, kill their people not your own.