The Zambian Government has made progress in establishing the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund to provide compensation for road accident victims and promoting road safety prevention activities.
Speaking during the Southern Africa Development Community, MVA Funds meeting in South Africa, Road Transport and Safety Agency, Deputy Director – Safety Gladwell Banda, disclosed that the country is currently working on the deployment of the institutional and legal frameworks to govern the establishment of the MVA Fund.
Mr. Banda said government will soon hold consultative meetings to recieve submissions from the public and other stakeholders adding that the country is exploring the best technical approach for the proposed MVA Fund in respect to funding, claims and policy practices.
“The establishment of the proposed MVA fund will reverage on the existing Third Party Act Cover which is currently underwritten by the Insuarance Industry in Zambia with the aim of widening the scope of cover for all Zambians which would inadvently enhance the quality of of life of citizens by promoting road safety, compensation, rehabilitation and surpporting those affected by the road crash.Thus providing a social security safety net for funds in a bid to provide care to road crash victims and restore balance in their lives,” Mr Banda said.
He said the MVA Fund is essential towards the attainment of the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety which among other things, calls for the provision of an effective and efficient post-crash care system.
Mr. Banda said RTSA in consultation with the government and other critical stakeholders is assessing the viability of establishing a sustainable MVA Fund which would also generate resources for providing social support to accident victims and the general citizenry who are left to suffer unbearable pain and loss of lives as a result of road crashes.
Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries are meeting in South Africa to look at various modalities and share experiences with other countries that have such a Fund in place like South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia.
The meeting is also encouraging all SADC countries to establish MVA Funds in their respective countries as such an approach is critical in achieving pillar number five for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety which is about improved post-crash care.
This is according to a statement issued by RTSA Head of Public Relations Fredrick Mubanga.
Good venture but PF will mismanage this fund and use the money on part campaigns. On a sad note to motorists, brace yourselves for more tax on already high fuel prices in Zambia.
Why should government be involved in handling funds meanwhile these vehicles are insured. The government can not be an insurance company for accidents. Basokwe aaba
What exactly do we pay insurance for? minus insurance no one can licence their vehicle, you want to add another tax to our already overburdened licences?
Why they want to introduce more taxes when people are overburdened?
More taxes indeed
Thank you Mother Zambia,And God Bless The President,Come 2021 I will Vote For You
Terrible thinking or its a new plan to steal money. Expand the roads and you will have a huge reduction in accidents. Single lanes are the biggest problem. Make a dual or in some areas trio lanes and that will solve 80% of the problems.
True zamule it’s scary driving in zed on those single lanes with a high number of head on collusions.
If you drive you know that you now pay Tolls even though the roads are crap. In countries like SA, some of the money so collected is used to service the Road Accident Fund. People get big amounts of money for accidents occurring on national roads with Toll gates. At Kafue bridge I asked the guy collecting the funds what the money was for. He said he did not know. I told him what happens in S.A. – use some of it for a fund to compensate those involved in accidents on Toll gated roads. For once, you should rejoice that someone is thinking and copying the right things. S.A. also has a fuel levy. May be that will be next. If you drive and are literate, you should know what your vehicle insurance is for. Otherwise you should not be on any road.