The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST), the Nation’s leading NGO for Road Safety, welcomes the opening of the Makeni Flyover Bridge, but caution pedestrians against using it as a footpath.
The Makeni Flyover Bridge was commissioned on Monday, 3rd of August 2020 by the republican President Edgar Lungu. Ever since ZRST has received disturbing reports with photos and videos of repeated dangerous risk behaviours involving pedestrians walking and running on the bridge.
ZRST Chairman, Daniel Mwamba said:
“Every life matters, we want to advise all pedestrians to stick to a footpath under the bridge. It makes sense that people need some time to adjust to the new world of flyovers, but using the flyover bridge as a footpath that is dedicated to the motorist is a near-death sentence for anyone”.
Recent road quarterly traffic data published by the Zambia Police has shown some reduction in the number of road accidents and deaths on our roads during Covid19 pandemic, but the burden of road traffic fatalities and injuries still remains high, especially for pedestrians and cyclist. Over fifty per cent of traffic fatalities involve pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, drastic action is needed to put measures in place to save lives.
Road safety is a shared responsibility, and individual road users have to take responsibility for their behaviour. Drivers must give way to pedestrians crossing the street. They must exercise due care when approaching pedestrian crossings, slow down and be alert to pedestrian movement.
For over the past 5 years, the ZRST has worked closely with the government, corporate world and others to help implement evidence-based solutions. Together we continue to promote the use of car seat-belts, campaign against speeding and drunk driving, redesign school streets to make them safer, and advocate for safer pedestrian and cycle paths.
Through a three-pronged approach of education, engagement and enforcement, we want to continue to support the government to create a culture where safe road use is an instinctive and personal responsibility.
It is important that we all take decisive steps against irresponsible behaviour that puts others at risk. This will be ZRST ongoing effort, and we will need the support of all road users to achieve safer roads.
Road traffic crashes are not “accidents”. They are completely preventable.
Hahahah only happens in Zambia…. over prices and no bicycle or footpath… ati development.
What would it have taken to have a cycle and pedestrian track on either side of the road Mwa wantu? Our leaders just enjoy putting up warnings and creating conditions for harassment mwe.
over priced*
So, the over-priced flyover has no pedestrian/cyclist access. Lord, who did we offend? This is to much!
Only a dull upnd member can think of taking a stroll on a high way. If you want to meet your maker before the elections next year then please by all means go and walk there. Kz
Only a dull upnd member can think of taking a stroll on a high way. If you want to meet your maker before the elections next year then please by all means go and walk there. Kaizar z
Some advertising billboards awe sure they are just too imposing for you not to notice them, almost thought its called tombstone, kanshi ni advert.
It appers that pedestrians and cyclists are not a priority here; but the driving about in cars even for walkable distances, is not sustainable. Lusaka has too many cars for the few roads in it.
How can you expect pedestrians to be accommodated on a highway. Shocking this is even coming from diasporans who are meant to be enlightened on such issues. Very thick
Wait until you have a breakdown on that so called fly over then you will appreciate the need for a pedestrian walk way
Highway yakutinaimwe ba Kaiser. You call that a highway yet it has no characteristics of a highway. What are the minimum and maximum speeds?
How can you expect pedestrians to be accommodated on a highway. Shocking this is even coming from diasporans who are meant to be enlightened on such issues. Very thick . Kz
@KZ
Walk around where you are in the UK then you will see how pedestrians can be accommodated. Do you know the definition of a highway?
A main road, especially one connecting major towns or cities…..
Don’t be a F.ooL
Kkkkkk………..Ba Kaizer, highway to a township township to the other? where, How, when?
Ka dictionary kalanda ati……a highway is ……a main road, especially one connecting major towns or cities.
I wonder what happened to the $286 million the Indian government loaned for this project this was not even in original design…this hideous hump can not cost more than $1 million …this is the high price of corruption we are paying for shoddy works.
TheEngineer – don’t mind the silly impostor…this hump wouldn’t be erected even on his council estate in England.
The problem is that you have been away from Zambia for too long. The reason for that structure is to ensure steady flow of traffic. Accommodating pedestrians on that highway means also taking into account or rather reducing the speed limits for safety. This would defeat the purpose of faster moving traffic. The problem with diasporans is that you rush to criticize just because it is kaizar and pf. Think first before showing us how you have wasted opportunities there abroad of getting an education. Ubututu ba diaspora
You lie to yourself to make yourselves feel better that I am in UK, When i am actually in Zambia. When points are raised you choose to get personal and throw insults. You then wonder why your fellow tribesmen and demigod keeps losing elections. Zambian are not silly. They can see all this and know who to entrust with governance. Channel that bad energy into productivity . Kaizar
Director of higher intelligence in OP.
Who are you?
Kaizar Zulu, please learn to shut up sometimes. You think you are an expert in everything. The point here is that there are still people trying to cross the road and use it for walking or riding their push bikes… they needed to be accommodated full stop.
And by the way it sounds like you are trying to refer to a ‘freeway’ instead of a highway. In either case your description would be wrong anyway. Any medium of transportation can use the highway, whereas the freeway is limited to vehicular traffic. Traffic is slow on the highway, whereas fast on the freeway.
Lusaka needs to de-congest, the govt needs to encourage people to use walking; push bikes or public transport (and I mean proper public transport, not those to ma small vans).
By the way with all your large scale building of houses, I still don’t understand why you can’t plan and design your houses with street numbers… everything is a gheto standard of building. People selling houses keep saying “near this supermarket or before that school”… wtf, who is planning your City?
Oh, touchy, touchy here ain’t we @ KZ. Sometimes, it’s wiser to keep quiet than open your mouth & show absolute ignorance. I really do feel for you – perpetually defending the indefensible; it must be exhausting.
The only ignorant ones are those going against official advice from ZRST. We have specialists who are very learned, some of them even studied in the countries that you ran away to. So you Jim and Jack who is just a mere asylum seeker angry at us for your own failing in life, now thinks you know better. The situation is that no pedestrian should be walking there mungulu. So whether you yap your mouth all day or not that is the situation. You can choose to go walk there if you want. Infact it will do us a favour if you walk there
You with the long name. There are other areas that can be used to accommodate pedestrian. Out of all locations why are you keen on this location? Are you going to leave your residential area and drive all way to the fly over just to jog? Do not be petty and act like a villager. Actually apology to villagers because you are showing ignorance that even a villager wouldn’t show. Go and built pedestrian in your village if you are that bothered.
So WHERE do Pedestrians walk? Cyclists are not encouraged in this city? Yet all world cities are trying to convert motorists to cycling
Rainbow so all these years you have had your balls in between your two thighs and have done nothing. Now when a fly over is built is when you want to show off your hairy balls ati what about pedestrian nyo nyo. The problem has only become a problem because we have built something which angers you. Lusaka is a growing city and all those things will be accommodated with time.
Have Zambians only learned how to jog or run since the fly over was built? You ask where are they going to walk?the same placesthey have been walking on since independence. This is what happens when upnd have nothing to use to campaign.they become so petty like their fellow dog bally. I have even named my two new dogs HH and UPND
Have Zambians only learned how to jog or run since the fly over was built? You ask where are they going to walk?the same placesthey have been walking on since independence. This is what happens when upnd have nothing to use to campaign.they become so petty like their fellow dog bally. I have even named my two new dogs HH and UPND. Kz
Have Zambians only learned how to jog or run since the fly over was built? You ask where are they going to walk?the same placesthey have been walking on since independence. This is what happens when upnd have nothing to use to campaign.they become so petty like their fellow dog bally. I have even named my two new dogs HH and UPND. Kaizar z
Have Zambians only learned how to jog or run since the fly over was built? You ask where are they going to walk?the same placesthey have been walking on since independence. This is what happens when upnd have nothing to use to campaign.they become so petty like their fellow dog bally. I have even named my two new dogs HH and UPND. Kaizar Zulu.
Just ignore this silly attention seeking toddler and his impersonations…he thinks everyone abroad is frustrated like himself insteads opts to troll online playing characters he wishes he was…really laughable….some of us work on such projects.
Haha tarino cleaning toilet is now equivalent to working on a road project. What road project can those British people entrust in an ethnic minority like you. Please list the projects you have worked on. Do not take us for granted just because you are on an online forum.
Haha tarino cleaning toilet is now equivalent to working on a road project. What road project can those British people entrust in an ethnic minority like you. Please list the projects you have worked on. Do not take us for granted just because you are on an online forum. Kaizar z
KZ ba nakulowa iwe chi mudala. How on this planet did you even get close to state house?
future zed you ask how i got close to state house? Hard work and patriotism got me there. That is something you guys lack there in diaspora. you spend all your lives criticizing our country and government and by the time you realise that you will never be respected there abroad, you will be a grey haired old fart with nothing to point at as your legacy. you will die angry
Timely warning from ZRST, that is what is important.