Thursday, March 28, 2024

Relocate All Bus Stations Away from the CBDs and Create New Bus Routes!

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THE Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group (ZRHSG) welcomes efforts by the UPND Government as announced by the Local Government Minister Mr. Garry Nkombo, to decongest the Lusaka Central Business District

According to plans, Government intends to build two new bus stations; one behind Levy Mall and another on Kafue Road.

However, the Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group feels this measure will in the short term decongest the CBD by transferring buses from Freedom Way and Lumumba Road into these news stations but in the long run might create new bottle necks around these two areas.

The Highway Safety Group therefore proposes that to help decongest traffic in Lusaka CBD area, the Lusaka City Council (LCC) relocates all bus stations, namely Kulima Tower, Millenium and Town Centre away from the busy Lusaka central business district (CBD) to the periphery of the city.

This can be done by creating new bus routes around the Lusaka CBD area on Ben Bella Road, Lumumba Rd and Kalambo Road for passengers going into the CBD area.
This also means that no buses will be found in the CBD area and only taxis can transport passengers from South end to North end via Cairo Rd, Freedom Way and Chachacha Roads into the CBD area while buses can only go around the CBD using Ben Bella, Lumumba and Kalambo Roads for those wishing to traverse the CBD from one end to the other.

Currently the existing bus stations in Lusaka namely Kulima Tower, Millenium, Town Centre, City Market and Lumumba attract buses from all four corners of Lusaka. This means a bus from Avondale has to crisscross the CBD to get to City Market Bus Station while another has to move from Chilenje and crisscross to get to Millenium or Lumumba Stations. The same happens to hundreds of minibuses around Lusaka that have to fight their way through traffic just to end up at these bus stations.

The Zambia Roads and Highway Safety Group also proposes that bus STATIONS (those that allow empty buses to stop and wait for passengers) be relocated away from the CBD into townships. Instead let new bus stops (those that allow buses to drop off passengers and pick those already at the station) be created to allow buses to move in a well-designed loop that allows them to only stop to drop and pick passengers in the CBD area and on these new routes on Ben Bella, Lumumba and Kalambo Road.

For example a bus from Chelstone should have a route that allows it to turn into Cairo Road and head back to Chelstone using Independence Avenue and passing through Longacres, Mtendere /Kalingalinga on its way to Chelstone. Similarly, a Bus from Matero when reaching the CBD can turn left into Great East Rd and back to Matero through Northmead and Garden Town ship without parking in the CBD.

A bus from Garden House when reaching CBD can turn right into Lumumba and exit through Los Angeles/Kalusha Bwalya Road passing through Kanyama on its way back to Garden House.

These new changes will result in buses not parking on Freedom Way, Chachacha or Lumumba Roads blocking traffic and creating bottle necks.

These changes will also make it possible for a passenger to move from one township to another without having to pass through the CBD or connect through town by jumping into many buses.

These changes will also result in more areas of Lusaka being serviced by public transport similar to how big cities like London, New York or Amsterdam are currently being serviced.

The Zambia Roads and Highway Safety Group is confident that once these changes are made, bus owners will create new parking areas for their buses during off peak hours thereby by taking off the roads buses that create unnecessary congestions in the city roads and at town centre.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group stands ready to help Lusaka City Council together with the bus owners to make this a win-win situation for the traveling public within Lusaka and help decongest the CDB and allow for the smooth flow of traffic and passengers.

13 COMMENTS

  1. Engineers proposed to shift the railway line from where it’s now to the area near Kanyama. The late Michael Sata asked if they would continue shifting the railway line each time it’s surrounded by buildings? That is when the idea to build the fly over on the great east road.

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  2. Yeah, CBD is a shocking itself to death. You can’t now access some areas unless you have to walk. However the real problem is the lack of investment in modern parking space. Discuss with business owners, get an investor to support conversion of some business premises into underground and above ground parking lots. There is actually more stable income for businesses in this venture than the selling of groceries which everyone is doing.

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  3. Imwe baffikala, Lusaka is not Zambia. Infact UPND should getta fvck out of Lusaka and go do something important in Mansa, Kaoma and Pemba . Local government should focus on villages not that fvcking Lusaka.

  4. Busroutes and buslines should exist as per the needs of customers (passengers) and NOT what busowners want. Government should ONLY give out licenses following the requirements of the passengers, and also stipulate times and frequency.

  5. Let NAPSA build it to the Livingstone standard like PF did but bigger so long distance buses can also be accommodated. Finance it based on income from operating the facility. In simple terms issue a Municipal

  6. &Ndoleshyafye – let NAPSA build like PF…what does this mean?

    Anyway if I was Garry and had the money and a clever working Lusaka City council executive, my priority would be to design routes that do not necessarily end and begin from City Centre. Educate bus operators and drivers the difference between bus stop and station. Increase specifications of the commuter bus…certainly not those ridiculous Toyata Hiace and similar types. Modern Town bus with improved sitting capacity and comfort.

  7. I doubt this is the solution. You will just take commutters further away from their destination. I thought shopping malls were designed to decongest the CBD?

  8. Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee

    Oh dear! They need to sit down and get clever people to brainstorm and come up with better solutions to this. You need proper planners to think long term, 100 yrs from now.
    You don’t take commuters away from the City and ask them to drop off a public bus further away and walk a long distance or use a taxi.
    Ban cars in the City and allow only buses and trams; and I mean proper bigger public buses not these small vans. Also introduce underground subways like that UK based guy they arrested (Chirwa?).
    The long term solution to this is investing and developing other places outside Lusaka like Nostradamus is suggesting. The point being not everyone should have to live in Lusaka to get a livelihood or job.
    And yes relocate Parliament to Kabwe; Mazabuka or Kafue or Chongwe as a starting…

  9. What about creating a new company responsible for bus stations and infrastructure that goes with it, similar to national airports. This company could be tasked with creating bus lanes, bus stops, leasing out new buses to operators and plan new strategic routes to airports and points of interest. Start with one city and expand the scheme to other towns and villages. This is where partnering with harvesters from the US could come in handy. The government’s job would be to regulate, set high safety standards and waive carbon tax for operators with low emission buses. Setup new training courses and qualification for all bus and lorry drivers.

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