Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba is hopeful that the discussions with various industry players, which are currently underway, are likely to be concluded next month.
In an interview recently, Mr Mushimba said Government will continue to invest in both the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) to boost the operations of the two service providers.
“We have injected over US$120 million from the Eurobond into ZRL and it has drastically improved the company’s operations. We have now started engaging transporters of bulk cargo to move on rail…we feel the rail sector has started going the right direction in terms of efficiency, speed and security.
“ZRL train speed was as low as 10kilometre [km] per hour but has since increased to over 50km/hour at the speed that the market can appreciate to move their cargo. So, when we talk about the SI to move certain cargo off the road, there will be an incentive for the market to actually move onto rail. But we will not force them,” he said.
Mr Mushimba said Government will continue conducting more investment studies to help the sector increase efficiencies.
This doesn’t make sense, an SI for a certain amount of goods to be sent by rail, thats a directive.
Yet at the second last paragraph he says that there will be incentives for them to use rail ,but we will not force them.
Then why have an SI
Our ministers should have their speeches proof read before reciting what is in front of them
Under PF bandits of visionless Edgar, the country is seriously in dununa backwardness. This SI has no substantial stamina & PF pathological liars should for the first time in history accept their pathetic failures.
Okay lets face facts here. The truth is that, PF squandered the $700 million Euro bond & now their CHEAP yapped roads are in ruins whilst others are dilapidating everywhere. Imagine PF bandits paid $1million per kilometer of these drum holes roads?! Even PF runs to ZRL, potholes or sorry, drum holes roads are exposing the rot of squanders.
Failed state in the making under economic blind PF bandits of Lungu.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
I just pray that one day copper will not be transported on roads. This is the only way to make Zambia railways profitable but unfortunately the politicians have truck business of transporting the copper cathodes. But if I was given a chance to be president this is the move I would make. Trucks can still make money transporting other goods.
That’s the way to go ,roads are expensive to maintain and are a drain on our treasury
Stop getting toll fees then, and road tax
We have heard this song so many times before and we know that most trucks in hauling business belong to some of the influential people in the country hence the resistance in having heavy haulage which is a menace not only to other road users but also cause damage to the roads.
Then why issue an SI if you will not force them? The problem that we have is that some of this overzealous ministers don’t understand the implications of issuing and revoking these SI. There are better ways of trying to justify how the US120m was abused and stolen than trying to make empty statements. Can the minister tell us how this colossal amount was mismanaged by Atanga and the wife? There is nothing to talk about ZR, RS was far much better that what we are seeing now.
$120m wasted for trains to move at 50kmh; no wonder transporters don’t use the rail line.
just imagine ehh, 50km/h is an improvement?
THE US$120million was mismanaged ZRL only managed to change some railway sleepers hahaha..the speed of ZRL has not improved it is between 10 to 20km/hr what a shame when countries like Ethiopia have trains moving at 120km/hr then with that totoise slow speed u wanna issue SI , please lets be serious ba UPND wazatuseka
Atleast PF has this learned Minister in their ranks. Which constituency is he MP for? I like him a lot actually
This minister is making the right music. And we thought PF only has bakaponya ….they also have learned and very vibrant ministers such as honorable MUSHIMBA, MP kantanshi in mufulira. We support you sir.
Mr SI,why inject more money from the euro bond when that was already done under Chirwa. Besides why not just transport all copper cathodes by railway line. Its the only way ZRL will be able to rise the much needed cash.
Why give incentives, make it by law that that certain loads depending on the gross weight can only be transported by rail. That’s all,its not rocket science.
As a young man then (2001) and in a bid to save some money, I jumped on a train to Livingstone at 19:00 and arrived the following day around 17:00 hrs. I vowed never to use the train again.
When i was a young boy in the 80’s at Hillcrest it took 1.5 days from Livingstone to Kitwe
We need to be serious with what we do and plan yes indeed for the sake of our priced roads , you can not be transporting copper on those sharky poorly done roads and think they will last .
There must just be a directive to every one involved to use rail line for specified goods to save our roads and reduce accidents.
Talking a lone Will not improve our economy We need to act , I dont think politicians can be an issue on this matter since they are the castodians of the law they need to lead by example .
I thought NED (New Educated Zambian) was the only dull one in town. There seems to be many around. An SI can easily be enforced, ok. For example, all trucks could be made to pay COLOSSAL ROAD TARIFFS if their cargoes are beyond certain weights. This would act as an incentive to use the railway whose charges could be made lower. That would be easy to enforce, wouldn’t it be? Doesn’t it make sense you educated Zambians? You need to think outside that warped and narrow upnd box. Wake up C’mon!
Muano tembo the need for you to accuse pipo of narrow minded and being upnd actually shows the narrow mindedness of YOU. An SI is not about incenives it is a LAW. Where in the aricle does it say it will be had to enforce.
My narrow minded friend read the article again and then dissect it with lowering yoirself into petty party politics.
should read without lowering yourself………..