Friday, March 29, 2024

Chishimba Kambwili wants the ban on night driving lifted

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Chishimba Kambwili.
Chishimba Kambwili.

Roan Patriotic Front Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has reiterated his call on government to reverse the ban on night travel for public transport.

Commenting on the latest road traffic accident involving a Power Tools Bus in Mkushi which has claimed four lives, Mr Kambwili said the law banning night travel is retrogressive.

“Drivers are under a lot of pressure to make up for lost time, this means that they are more likely to increase their speed so that they can get to their destination before the stipulated time,” Mr Kambwili said.

“Can the Government reverse the statutory instrument banning night travel. Accidents statistically happen during the day and not the night so this particular law is not yielding any results,” he stressed.

“Reverse the statutory instrument and save lives. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.”

Meanwhile, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has expressed concern with the poor road safety record for Power Tools bus services company following this mornings’ fatal accident on Great North road.

The Agency is concerned with the safety record of Power Tools as the same company recorded a fatal crash in September 2016 were 22 people died in Serenje.
In March this year another bus was involved in a crash on Lusaka – Kabwe road but this time there were no fatalities recorded.

RTSA Head of Public Relations Fredrick Mubanga has told QTV News in a statement that the Agency is concerned with the deteriorating safety record of the bus service company following this morning’s accident in Mkushi.

Mr. Mubanga says the accident happened around 06:30 hours along Great North road about 25 kilometres east of Mkushi, when Alex Chapel driving a Power Tools Scania bus ABM 6626 collided with a Tanzanian truck registration number T236BTC.

He says both drivers died on the spot and two passengers from the bus, a male and female.

He adds that all bodies are in Mkushi hospital mortuary whilst 67 passengers who sustained various injuries are being attended to at Mkushi and Kapiri district hospitals.

Mr. Mubanga explains that the accident happened after the driver of the bus which was coming from the eastern direction decided to drive on the opposite lane after finding out that vehicles had stopped following a broken down bus belonging to CV Transport company had closed one lane.

The RTSA Head of Public Relations furthermore explains that the driver of the Power Tools bus carelessly overtook the other vehicles and as a result the bus collided with the truck which was coming from the Western direction.

He has appealed to Power Tools bus services management to come up with proactive strategies to ensure their fleet abides to all road rules and regulations.

Mr. Mubanga has also called on all motorists to exercise maximum patience on the road to avoid such accidents.

44 COMMENTS

  1. This was total negligence on part of PowerTools driver. Just how do you bypass a chain of vehicles and a broken down bus at full speed without thinking using a wrong lane altogether. If anything he could have waited for the other vehicles that had right of way to pass first.
    No patience and no thinking indeed.
    Condolences to the bereaved!

    • He is likely to be a president before HH.

      He is Bemba tick, works hard tick, experience tick, has a big following tick, Is well reverred tick.

      I hold a PhD

      Thanks

      BB2014,2016

    • A story is told of how a RATSA employee was fired for reporting a transport company that was using the same bus for getting the fitness test for other buses by just changing number plates on that one bus………. “He has appealed to Power Tools bus services management to come up with proactive strategies to ensure their fleet abides to all road rules and regulations”……..is there license immune from suspension?

    • @Nubian Princess you are so sarcastic is that how you talk to your bambo wapa nyumba or your don’t have one? Stick to the message not the messenger! He has a point but that don’t put him in any presidential league Mushota! However, like you Kambwili only has an honorary PhD!

    • Another head on collision with a PSV license holder driver and HGV licence holder driver …anyone but a numpty can see where the problem is!!

    • CK IS IRRATIONAL AND A WASTE
      ===============
      “…the driver of the bus which was coming from the eastern direction decided to drive on the opposite lane after finding out that vehicles had stopped following a broken down bus belonging to CV Transport company had closed one lane…”
      CK does this ring any bell in your thick head?
      Your vehicles have fallen on the road severally, while the SI was meant to have drivers have some form of rest , it has not completely taken one or two things away from the recklessness of some drivers including yours.

  2. I second his position although he is a bully. What RSTA need is to ensure they technogically adopt tools that will monitor buses and drivers in real time. Bus drivers must have electronic devices that will log them and log them out. This will also indicate how many hours a driver has been driving non stop

  3. What Kambwili is saying does not make sense in this situation. What he is alluding to is drivers rushing to beat time before the night deadline. This was different Mr Kambwili, are you trying to confirm that your degrees were all purchased pa kantemba? Nangu namusanguka chi li Donkey apa pene?

  4. Two politicians in Zambia today amaze me more than others, to think that Kambwili and underfive even think of themselves becoming President Zambia is beyond my comprehension, as intelligent as I am.

    • If Lungu who used to live in a garage belonging to incumbent Chawama member of parliament Lawrence Sichalwe for two years can become president, what can prevent Kambwili from becoming one?

  5. If any motorist was to drive from Lusaka to Kitwe via Ndola, which is about 400 km long, one can plan the time of arrival to Kitwe taking into account being slowed down in Chisamba area. Liteta Hospital, Chibombo, Kabwe, Kapiri and stoppages at Toll Gates. Cruising at an average speed 80 km/hr the journey can take 5hrs non stop or 6hrs if one has to slow down through densely populated areas. With regards to Bus Companies, their respective Managers should be able to supervise the safe speed at which their Drivers can drive. Mr. Kambwili is being mischievous to even suggest that Buses and trucks should travel at night when visibility is further reduced. This man became a political leader by “crooks law”.

    • ,,,,semi literate, academically challenged but now rich Dr ck,,,,,the f.ool stole / stripped kilometres of rail in Luanshya for scrap…he now brags that he is rich..he should be in jail.

  6. The chairman for public service vehicles happens to be the proprietor for power tools buses. Mr mbachi. I see this case going nowhere. If RATSA have balls of a hegoat let them ban this company since according to them power tool’s safety record is bad . Ratsa you have enough proof to yourselves why this company should be banned and seating back and announcing the accident which is the duty of the police PR will not help anything. Mind you a precedence is going to be set by you and expose your corruptness further. Simply follow the rules you created and deal with this company before many lives are lost.

    • You don’t ban a company, you penalize it. Let the decision to shut down be the company’s. Stop encouraging bullying by government.

  7. If you look at today’s politics, some who were just on Katondo Street are the richest, the wealthiest…you begin to ask yourself; where did they get so much money? What businesses did they do? Simply becoming politicians and they have amassed so much wealth! They have even forgotten about closing the gap between the rich and the poor. They have simply forgotten about the poor Zambians. The majority in government today did not even own a bicycle but today they have the most expensive vehicles. Where did they get so much money, properties in Zambia and outside Zambia? They have stolen from Zambians,”

    Fr laonde
    Mast on line.

  8. @Mwansa Kabinga. That is Smart! The “crooks Law” terminology is till there? It reminds me of the chemistry Lab Classes at UNZA 33 years ago.

  9. Actually Honourable not only has it brought those fatals on Zambian roads, but all towns have now turned to be borders where trucks and buses park and subject travellers sleep in buses and others on corridors, and increase prostitution at night. PSE can this be reversed to bring sanity back in our towns.

  10. Actually Honourable not only has it brought those fatals on Zambian roads, but all towns have now turned to be borders where trucks and buses park and subject travellers sleep in buses and others on corridors, and increase prostitution at night. PSE can this be reversed to bring sanity back in our towns.

  11. To be honest, banning night travelling is very retrogressive. We need to improve safety awareness to both travelers and drivers so that they are aware of their surroundings and safety while on transit. We also need to increase the number of lanes especially on international routes. Looking at the time the accident happened, we need technologies like drivers safety devices DSS and collision avoidance systems on public buses. If even after the ban we still have accidents like we have witnessed lately, then there is no point in maintaining such a retrogressive ban.

  12. Night travel is only good for witches and fwiti….imagine drunk under-age drivers, fake psv licences, sikolokolo trucks and buses on single lane potholed roads.. Ck is a stu.p id I’d.oit

  13. Three causes of accidents: Faulty vehicle(or part), Road(eg no markings, no signs, etc) and Human Error(eg poor judgement on speed and distance).

    Yes there could be others but basically yesterday’s accident falls under one of the 3. Wha D’you think?

  14. when an accident happens ,automatically the zambia police traffic section normaly comes up with a judgement as to who was at faulty. so i see no reason why pipo can start finger pointing and calling each other such names like stupid ***** ,y? To me that shows personal hatred.Avoid such bcoz tomorrow it will be u who will be an ***** and look foolish .

  15. @4.1 Change, you only mention Kambwili and not underfive as I did. Is that why underfive is so bitter because he thinks only Kabulongalites like him should become President?
    God works in mysterious ways, you must now believe, hey UPNDonkeys?

    • You know what pains HH very much? It’s because Lungu who was not “politically born” when HH and others entered politics could spring from Chawama Compound and land at Plot 1.

  16. How sad to see Kambwili seeing things differently now from what he used to see. I maintain that the only way to succeed is integrity. Changing like a chameleon will cost you respect. As for the accident it’s very disheartening to see a person put so many lives at risk for no reason at all.

  17. An accident is an accident, first of all let’s not put politics because we will always miss the point. There are many causes of accidents in zambia ; poor roads, improper road marking, wrong road signs etc and just to mention but a few. The drivers in zambia in fact should be recommended because some of the roads they use are death traps e.g mazabuka / turn park road. This road is full of pot holes. No road signs but they try their best until they reach their destination. Please just lift this ban and improve the roads. Kambwili is right but why are you talking now! You were full full of praises to Edgar chagwa Lungu when his cabinet effected this move. Well,keep on talking and probably join Antonio Mwanza to compelling the speaker to ask the finance minister over that loan of $200…

  18. In 1992/93, Levy P Mwanawasa, MHSRIEP, resigned as Veep after he told Chiluba that is regime is very corrupt. He didn’t wait to be fired to denounce it. So Dr Kambwili (Copperstone PHD) should have said all these whilst serving as a minister. This total rubbish from him.

    • @Kamshaft, Corruption is only bad if your friends are eating and not sharing with you. Like chigololo, Mr. “Clean”, the mighty fighter of corruption also failed to resist the temptation when the juice was placed was placed in his hands

  19. Rsta are to blame coz any broken down vehicle mast be moved as quickly as possible from the Road this is were ticnology comes in . Install cameras or patrols adequately

    • We’re part of the corruption at RATSA. Just go to Kitwe RATSA and how ready people are ready to bribe officers in order to be served. What government needs is to send people to clear the so called agents from RATSA. There’s break down of law at this place.

  20. Night driving for trucks and buses must not be reversed. A bus carrying 65+ passengers must not be driven by a tied and dozing driver, which is what night driving does to drivers. there is nothing retrogressive in the ban. Dr Kambwili and Coy should just accept this and live with it. Progressive decisions should not be reversed just because a few blokes are against it. It is a foolish father who reverses his decision not to allow any of his children coming back home after 19.00 hrs just because his first born son disagrees. A wise father will stick to his decision and ask whoever doesn’t like the decision to find his own place to live. Needless to add that after the ban was implemented, accidents which have occurred have been due to causes other than tiredness and dozing on the part of…

  21. Chishimba has himself several mishaps on the road and can he attribute them to night travel ban? At night, it is common knowledge that vision becomes very limited and for the sake of many that are on the bus each time, it was to me, a correct move.

  22. When they banned night travel it did not mean that there will be no accidents, if so Mr. Kabwili how many accidents have you caused, you even killed a cycle list. As for shutting the bus company, why should it be shut, the personal to punish here is the driver if possible should be blacklisted.

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