Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba says the concession agreement which the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and Intelligent Mobility Solutions Limited has entered into to provide traffic management solutions and services at a cost of $500 million will not require government to spend money.
Mr Mushimba said this at a press briefing in Lusaka on Thursday.
He said the partnership with Intelligent Mobility Solutions Limited would introduce the use of electronic systems to enforce road traffic regulations.
Below is the full statement
PRESS STATEMENT ON A CONCESSION AGREEMENT ON A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA THROUGH THE ROAD TRANSPORT AND SAFETY AGENCY (RTSA) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTELLIGENT MOBILITY SOLUTIONS (IMS) TO ENHANCE ROAD SAFETY IN ZAMBIA
HON. Eng. BRIAN MUSHIMBA, MP, MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
4TH OCTOBER 2017
Good morning. Allow me to thank you all for coming to my press briefing this morning and through you to inform the public that Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Road Transport and Safety Agency has entered into a Concession Agreement with Intelligent Mobility Solutions Limited a Consortium of Kapsch International and Lamise Trading.
The Concession Agreement is aimed at providing advanced road traffic management solutions and services in the transport sector.
As you are aware, Zambia has in the recent past experienced some of the worst accidents that have resulted in the loss of lives of our brothers and sisters on our public roads.
You may wish to note that in 2016, over 2,200 people died as a result of road traffic accidents on our public roads.
These lives were more important to all of us and as Government we cannot sit back and watch so much lives being lost.
In addition, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has over the years faced numerous challenges in providing various services to the public as a result of lack of adequate resources to render services to the public as expected.
On a number of occasions, motorists have spent long hours on the queues in pursuit of services from RSTA.
In line with Government’s vision of a Smart Zambia to leverage on the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) in providing services, it is only prudent to bring on board the private sector in providing some services such as the Advanced Road Safety Management Solution and Services through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and reduce pressure on Government fiscal space.
The partnership is intended to reduce the rising incidences of road crashes and fatalities to improve the road safety record of our country and improve the provision of services to the public.
This partnership will introduce the use of electronic systems to enforce road traffic regulations.
The partnership will help improve the performance of RTSA on its core mandate and build capacity in RTSA to use modern methods of law enforcement using electronic systems. The partnership will help to scale up road safety interventions.
The procurement process for this project was in line with the dictates of the Public Private Partnership Act of 2009 where the unsolicited bids are subjected to an open tender in accordance with section 42 (6) of the Act.
The project was advertised in the print media for a period of one month and five competing bids were received and evaluated where Intelligent Mobility Solutions Limited which is a consortium of KAPSCH of Australia and Lamise Trading was awarded the concession to implement the Advanced Road Safety Management Solution and services.
The project is at no cost to Government of the Republic of Zambia while the concessionaire will provide among other solutions and services the following:-
Traffic management field equipment such as CCTV cameras, and road signs, Vehicle inspection centers, Border tolling facilities, High speed weigh in motion nodes to reduce overloading, and Road safety enforcement equipment.
RTSA retains its core mandate of regulation, education and collection of road tax, driver licensing fees and carbon tax.
While the concessionaire will enforce road safety and collect fines from traffic offences such as overloading, over speeding and road user charges for vehicle inspection and registration.
The Concessionaire will recover his costs over the course of the seventeen-year project duration through receipts of a portion pegged at 15 percent of user charges relating to the project such as traffic fines, vehicle inspection fees collected.
Further you may wish to note that 85 percent of these collections will be remitted to the Zambian Government Treasury.
Members of the press, ladies and gentlemen
Let me assure you that Government of his Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu remains steadfast to ensure that Zambia’s interests are safeguarded in implementing this project to benefit the people of Zambia today and our future generations.
We cannot afford to remain behind when technology in most advanced economies has enabled them achieved their success through the use of technology.
My ministry remains committed to make our roads safe to protect the lives of our people. I am confident that together we can achieve safer roads in Zambia and achieve our vision of becoming a hub of transport, communications and meteorology services by 2030 to be a reality.
I thank you and may God bless you all.
Road capacity exceeded , technology wont change the situation on ground. Make new roads and introduce mandatory alcohol detection on all drivers and various points .Citizens should know how much alcohol is permitted for one to drive. Otherwise its same old story.
The people of zambia will pay for this through hook and crook.
Brian, there is no way this money can be recovered in 20 years. Why are you burdening our children with huge debt? And I hope there were no brown envelopes involved in this…..otherwise naiwe you will be caged as will your corrupt colleagues. Stay clean for your own sake and do not fall into the trap of receiving stolen goods.
Have a good day young man.
Good points
Bwana Mushimba, it’s Austria not Australia. Says a lot about your knowledge of this deal if you don’t even know the origin of the implementing company, perhaps the concession was just dumped on you by your boss?
Is the public paying that extra 15% through increases in the rates we will be paying. Or is the 15% covered from improved efficiency in the collection? Furthermore there no element of public participation from the Citizenry other than the deal being mooted to improve public safety.
How does a Grocery trading store suddenly transform into a sophiscated engineering company? There no rational explanation for the JV or partnership other than Lamise being a conduit for corruption to Mushimba or his bosses. In other words the Australian company masked and limited their liability of corruption by ensuring that exchange of dirty money happened within Lamise Trading. You cannot fool everyone
Congratulations Hon. Mushimba. Keep it up! ICTs is the way to go.
Of course Government won’t spend anything. The Zambian road users, which is all of us, will have to pay!
And we will have to pay TWICE! First the KALOBA that PF has borrowed to build the roads, and second to use them! And then the INTEREST on all the borrowed money, so it is actually 3X over that we will have to pay!
This means no more ATMs on the road. If this deal is worth so much, then the police were really minting some serious cash!
While the ACC was getting huge salaries and sleeping on the job!
In Lungus Zambia corruption has become legal! If you can steal millions of poor taxpayers money just tell LUNGU and he will make you a Minister in his corrupt Government!