Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has described the level of road traffic congestion in Lusaka as unbearable.
Mrs Mwanakatwe who is also Lusaka Central Member of Parliament says there is need to urgently deal with the traffic congestion in the city.
Mrs Mwanakatwe on Thursday travelled around the city using public transport as a way of having of feel of the public transport system in Lusaka.
“Was in town today with the Councillor for Independence Ward, Councillor Daka.
I thought of using Public Transport so I can feel what our people feel, The traffic is unbearable and we need to make our roads safe, and also create a comfortable Public Transport system for our citizens,” Mrs Mwanakatwe said.
She added, “Just last week My president His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu was launching the Lusaka Ndola Dual-carriage Road which I think every well meaning Zambian and a True patriotic Citizen must support.”
“Rome was not built in a Day,in 30years time we will be saying Zambia was not built in a day.”
Let all upper mambas drive in minibuses,but not new once,old and broken once you find all over on the roads….and see how they feel.
If you are observant and can apply even some simple logic you will realise that most traffic Jams in Lusaka are created by what could have been avoided by smart Road designs ….. filter lanes, expansive junctions with Traffic lights controlling all turns, smarter roundabout designs etc. Corruption still remains the biggest issue smarter road designs means chewing into the Margin for mischief …
This lady is campaigning, she has a feeling the Constitutional Court will uphold the ruling from the High Court to nullify her election. One need not ride on public transport to know the situation in Lusaka needs urgent attention
she is still an illegal minister.we don’t recognize her.she is stealing our money…lol
Well done mama Magaret! Even the UPND MPs never bring themselves down to earth to what you have done!
These are the leaders we need! Tata ba Sata would’ve said well done my sister! Indeed this is what we want people who can relate to the everyday citizen! Fact is things are hard and we need smart solutions to solve these problems! Spending huge funds will not solve anything unless there is a change in the Zambian mindset!
Mulenga Mulenga grow up. Stop masturbating in public
Even by using your own private car you are able to feel the impact of congestion in Lusaka, not just when you use public transport. Roads alone won’t solve the congestion problem. We need to develop the rail transport system
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk i personally have issues with all politicians. Bwana minister is it news that traffic is bad in lsk and public transport is pathetic? Then I don’t know the people you represent. Any way you are just been a politician just like the other politician of the opposition paty who was saying Zambian prisons are bad as if he didn’t know all this time. Anyway some people still believe that politicians can change life so you still stand a chance of making a fool out of many.
Apart from the overhead roads government is planning, what is really required as a matter of urgency is a major ring road touching 10 miles to Nampundwe area to Chilanga to Silverest and back to 10 miles. Traffic must be distributed from the sources . As it is now everybody has to pass through town when going to the other side. This major ring road will ensure everybody can enter or exit CBD and surrounding areas from any convenient point. We must be forecasting and planning ahead outwardly. These tuma inner ring roads wont help
Reading your comment I can easily deduce that you’ve never travelled outside magoye since you were born. You don’t need to pass through cbd when going to chilanga from either lusaka east or west. There’s a new road from chilenge chalala lilayi connecting kafue road at chilanga. You are indeed in the past. The first time you’ll go to lusaka you’ll probably think that you’re in heaven.
I agree with 3.1 that you Caleb have not recently been to Lusaka or are not aware of recent (the last 3-5 years) road developments. There are now sufficient road rings around Lusaka which make it unnecessary to pass through the CBD, and specifically the Kabwe and Kafue round-about. One can move from East to West using the now tarred road rings both on the south end and north end of the city.
3.1 & 3.2 some people just criticize for the sake of it. Even the ever reducing price of maize meal is now an issue. …calling it a campaign gimmick. ..forgetting that even market forces can influence prices.
mmmmmm i dont know which bus she used…. but if u want to bit traffic in lusaka… U should use a bus…. Lusaka bus drivers really no how to avoid traffic… Am sure the bus driver was scared of the minister coz sh must have been with RATSA and traffic officers
Hhahahahahaha; true….
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk very true @ The diplomat. SHe really doesn’t know Lusaka bus drivers, these guyz can avoid traffic zoooona and they are all the same as if they were born from the same parents
she is not a minister just like Chagwa Chakolwa.she is just a thief…lol
You’re funny. Of course a naughty boy will pretend to behave in front of the head master.
Yes we need a major outer ring road, as at now, trucks have to pass through CBD. Major ring road will bring about service stations, filling stations and other businesses. Nampundwe – ten miles -silverest – Chilanga – Nampundwe
Ba ‘some of us’ took time to hang out with the common people and its news…
What will they do now that they know what goes on?
What other issues are pending their attention that they already know about?
Everybody is passing through the same place like mbeba, cant you make some roads to be passing outside the town
The mininister did not appear to be wearing a seat belt in accordance with her governments SI
This woman had to jump on to one of these buses for her to appreciate the traffic congestion? Where has she been all these years and as a politician, has she not been listening to the voters issues? There are too many people in the city , and more people are acquiring personal vehicles, also roads in Zambia have not been improved/ developed for I don’t know how long .
She sounds like she is minister of lusaka or as though lusaka is the country. Why dont you make a trip to the copperbelt, chingola in particular. Chingola has very few roads to talk about. Document how much commerce chingola brings to zambia and compare how much money is put in chingola roads. For the millions that chingola has contributed to the national coffers, very little has been put back in public structure construction and maintenance. If i was to make an educated guess, Ms minister is laying the groundwork for the public debate they anticipate when they announce the launching of the construction of the light rail system in lusaka, that Brian Mushimba talked of recently.
Useless illegal minister have you paid back the loan?
Dustin…….you know the game they play…they think they qare very clever but this is their strategy every time.
Use that strategy and u fool pipo once but keep using it and they make a fool of themselves.
I was last there 2 years ago and it was unbearable then. I dread to imagine how bad it is now. I remember driving barely an hour from Kabwe to Lusaka, but it took me almost 2 hours to enter the city from as far as the Independence Stadium.
“So who should buy the buses. GRZ or private operators? Just for your information the government is about to ban Hi Aces as public transport. I hope you’ll support the move instead of politics.”
MY FRIEND, THE GOVERNMENT HASN’T GOT TO BUY THE BUSES, BUT, CREATE RUNNABLE ROUTES AND STANDARDS THEN FRANCHISE THE SERVICE/ROUTES TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHO MUST FOLLOW THE RULES/STANDARDS OF COMMUTER TRANSPORT OPERATION INCLUDING THE PRESCIBED TYPES OF BUSES AND HOW THE MUST BE CONFIGURED INSIDE, AT THE ENTRANCE/EXIT AND OUTSIDE. EG NO BUS SHOULD STOP ANYWHERE APART FROM DESIGNSTED AND WELL ERECTED BUS STOPS OR STATIONS FOR FEW SECONDS. BUSES MUST BE LONG WITH ENOUGHT SPACE MANOEUVERABILITY AND STANDING WITH TWO FRONT (ENTRANCE) AND REAR (EXIT) DOOR WITH WIDE WINDOWS, WHEELCHAIR/PUSHCHAIR…
… FRONT (ENTRANCE) AND REAR (EXIT) DOOR WITH WIDE WINDOWS, WHEELCHAIR/PUSHCHAIR ENABLED. THERE’S NO NEED FOR A CONDUCTOR IN MODERN-DAY BUSES BECAUSE A BUS DRIVER (IN THE CASE OF A BUS) COLLECTS AND ISSUES TICKETS IF THEY ARE NOT ELECTRONICALLY BOUGHT ON CARDS. THE FRONT OF THE BUS MUST HAVE A ROUTE NUMBER. NOW, WHAT I HAVE NARRATED ABOVE IS SIMPLY AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TALKING BUSES. BUSES WHICH TELL YOU WHERE IT IS GOING AND THE NEXT BUS STOP OR STATION. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING THAT. THAT IS A MATTER FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING. SO LEST WE FORGET- THE GRZ SETS AND ENFORCES STANDAS AND FRANCHISES BUS ROUTES AND KEEPS ON FORMULATING AND ENFORCING MORE NEW STANDARDS AS NEW THING IN TERMS OF SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY, ETC, UNFOLDS FOR THE SAKE OF EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT COMMUTER TRANSPORT…
…ETC, UNFOLDS FOR THE SAKE OF EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT COMMUTER TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS MODERN WORLD. THIS IS NOT POLITICKING NOR IS IT ROCKET SCIENCE. IT IS JUST NORMAL BUSINESS.
IT IS SAD THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE ZAMBIA STILL HAS UTUMBABULA AS PUBLIC TRANSPORT WHICH A WHEELCHAIR PERSON, PUSHCHAIR, AND PEOPLE LADDEN WITH SHOPPING CANNOT USE. IT IS SAD ALSO THAT MINISTERS IN ZAMBIA DO NOT USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT INCLUDING THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT. THE ONLY MAN I KNOW WHO USED TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS THE LATE MR MICHAEL CHILUFYA SATA. MAY GOD GRANT HIM A PLACE IN PARADISE. HOW THE HELL PEOPLE EXPECT THESE CHAPS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT IF THEY HAVE NEVER USED IT AT ALL? MPs AND MINISTERS IN THE UK RIDE BICYCLES TO WORK AND USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT. SO, WHEN COMMUTERS COMPLAIN ABOUT BAD TRANSPORT THEY KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT. A POOR COUNTRY LIKE ZAMBIA MINISERS HAVE 4 VEHICLES1 FOR SHOPPING, 1 FOR SCHOOL RUNS, 1 FOR WORK AND 1 FOR EMMERGENCY OR…
So who should buy the buses. GRZ or private operators? Just for your information the government is about to ban Hi Aces as public transport. I hope you’ll support the move instead of politics.
BA Ndanje khaki, POLITICS? DOES WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN ABOVE SOUND LIKE POLITICS TO YOU? LOOK, I DON’T LIVE IN ZAMBIA.BUT, IT IS ONLY BY BODY WHICH IS OUTSIDE ZAMBIA. MY EARS AND EYES ARE BOTH TO THE GROUND IN ZAMBIA. I ALWAYS KNOW MOST OF THE THINGS HAPPENING IN ZAMBIA MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN YOU. WHEREVER PEOPLE FLOCK TO IN NUMBERS- THE EASY, COMFORT, USABILITY/FUNCIONALITY, DESTINATION EFFICIENT REACHABILITY AND OPTIONS OF COMMUTER TRANSPORTATION NOT FORGETTING SAFETY IS THE MAIN ATTRACTION TO/IN THAT PLACE. WITH LONDON COMMUTER TRANSPORT ONE CAN GO ANYWHERE ANY TIME. IF A GIVEN COUNTRY IS TALKING OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IT SHOULD FIRST SOLVE COMMUTER TRANSPORT SYSTEMS IN CITIES AND TOWNS ANDDEVELOPING TOURISM BECOMES ALMOST AUTOMATIC. IN THE SAME VEIN- IF A COUNTRY IS TALKING OF HOLDING…
…IN THE SAME VEIN- IF A COUNTRY IS TALKING OF HOLDING INTERNATIONAL EVENTS SUCH AS AFRICA OR WORLD CUP TOURNAMENTS, ULTIMATELY, IMPLEMENTING AND UPGRADING AN EXCELLENTLY EFFICIENT COMMUTER TRANSPORT SYSTEMS WILL MAKE IT WIN THE VOTE EVEN BEFORE THEY COOME TO HOTELS ROOM ACCOMMODATION AND STADIA. YOU SEE HOLIDAYS (IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO THESE PARTS OF THE WORLD) ARE PLANNED AROUND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND THE WHOLE FAMILY GO FOR HOLIDAY DURING SCHOOL TERMINAL HOLIDAYS. THAT MEANS THEY GO WITH BABIES KIDS AND OLDER CHILDREN. NOT EVEN A MAD COUPLE WOULD DECIDE TO TAKE THEIR FAMILY TO ZAMBIA FOR A HOLIDAY WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF EXISTING CHAOS OF COMMUTER TRANSPORT WHERE PEOPLE ARE PACKED LIKE SARDINES OR POTATO BAGS.
I HAVEN’T EVEN SPOKEN ABOUT TOURISTS WHO ARE CONFINED TO WHEELCHAIRS AND WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN AND OUT OF THOSE MODES OF COMMUTER TRANSPORT SYSTEMS. SO, IF A GOVERNMENT IS TALKING AND PLANNING OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS IN A COUNTRY, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT COMMUTER TRANSPORT IS PRIORITY NUMBER 1. OTHER THINGS LIKE HOTEL ROOMS FOLLOW LATER. AND THAT IS NOT POLITICKING. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF FACT. BUT, I DO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE ‘NOT’ COMING FROM. ZAMBIA COMPLAINS ABOUT FEW ENTRIES OF VISITORS TO THE COUNTRY. I WONDER IF ALL OUR HIGHLY TRAVELLED MINISTERS (PAST AND PRESENT) OF TRANSPORT ARE ALL BLIND TO HAVE SEEN HOW COMMUTER TRANSPORT IS ORGANISED.
Ba sokwe
@16 CAN YOU PLEASE TRANSLATE FOR US, “SOKWE”?
………..that most traffic Jams in Lusaka are created by what could have been avoided by smart Road designs ….. filter lanes, expansive junctions with Traffic lights controlling all turns, smarter roundabout designs
I have copied the above from a man calling himself ” Shameless”. This is actually the real problem with our road system. There is actually no design being done to the current road network. We should actually differentiate between ” road ” construction and ” road resurfacing”. What we are doing is simplistic resurfacing. As long as we don’t design our roads, congestion is here to stay. A simple comparison can be made between Chilimbulu Road ( which was not designed) and Tokyo way( Designed). I couldn’t understand how the newly completed road could be cut to…
I couldn’t understand how the newly completed Chilimbulu road could be cut to accommodate traffic lights. This simply shows that there was no prior design done. The contractor was simply instructed to commence works.
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Zambians reward politicians who think, sing and “do know reverse”
We must be very careful with what this woman is saying. If you look carefully you will see that she is talking about redesigning Lusaka. Very soon we will be talking about a loan of so much billion dollars for this project. Just wait and be patient. Time will tell, She is just exposing what has already been Planned.
On a point of Commendation – well done for “Trying to get the feel of what the majority feel day in day out, year in year out”.
On a point of Condemnation, ” You sat comfortably on the bus”.
That eroded the real feeling cos the people who surround and advise you didn’t want you to experience the real feeling!
We are parked like sardines on those buses – a bus that is supposed to carry 13 passengers will load up to to 20 !!!
Including luggage for those that go out of town.. Visit city market and see the buses going out of town and you shall weep. The people from the village who can’t voice out are the most vulnerable. It is really sad and annoying that we have laws in this country and the people who tasked with enforcing the law turn a blind eye and keep taking bribes on a daily…
@HaJayJay, #12, there are others who think that you too are useless! Would you agree?
There is only one thing that i can tell u people in government remember the day u was asking for votes today u are minister’s that were voted with as u want to remove small buses from the Road do u know how many families are in small buses count conducters drivers and there families and owners of the small buses most of them are retirees finding the leaving in the small buses in Zambia there is no industry’s if u don’t know small buses are the biggest industry in Zambia that any one can go and start working without n diploma o digress go to South Africa small buses are working don’t compare Zambia and Tanzania because of burning of small buses tanzania still suffering in transport have been going to Tanzania standing in Tanzania buses never end most of people that go to Tanzania can…
Be my wetness South Africa is richer than Zambia small buses still working big buses killing a lot of people every time so if u want to bun buses bun big buses because there the ones killing a lot if people if u der we are going to make sure that u lose in 2021