Friday, March 29, 2024

Spike in road accidents saddens Mushimba

Share

Former Transport Minister Brian Mushimba says he is saddened by the recent spike in road accidents across Zambia.

Mr Mushimba said almost daily, there is a loved one being lost on the punishing roads across the country.

“As someone who once was in charge of road safety in the country while I served as minister of transportation, I am at pains to make sense of these painful and unfortunate events,” Dr Mushimba said.

“I remember during my time, we recognized that we needed immediate interventions while we planned for medium and long term solutions (such as better roads, dual carriage highways between towns, public mass transit transportation systems, etc).”

Dr Mushimba said as part of the immediate interventions, he signed a raft of Statutory Instruments (SIs) totaling 13.

“I was subsequently nicknamed the “Minister of SIs” by the media at the time. I wore that nickname as a badge of honor,” he stated.

“We had researched data that those SIs were necessary to stem the trend on accidents and fatalities. We signed SI to move heavy cargo off roads onto rail. We signed SI to ban high occupancy vehicles driving in the thick of the night on poorly lit or marked roads. We signed SI to install speed governors in high occupancy vehicles. We signed SI to streamline driver training and strict conditions for acquiring driver licenses. And many more.”

Dr Mushimba said in the first year, Zambia reduced accidents and fatalities by 13% adding that the trend of reducing accidents and fatalities continued while he served in the Ministry of transportation.

“If these SIs are still standing, can the listening government enforce them better please? If they are not standing anymore, can new ones be instituted to save lives on these roads please?”

“Can we get a plan and timelines shared on the transition to medium term and long term solutions (i.e. dual carriage highways, public mass transit systems)? We can wait on many other things for implementation by the new government but life is at stake here on these roads.”

21 COMMENTS

  1. Sounds like a blame game here. Sir you are not telling us whether the series of your claimed SIs have been nullified by new Gvt. It is pleasing though that un intentionally you acknowledge that you left a mess in transport sector. Look at the state of almost all roads – one wonders whether we had a Government barely five months ago.

  2. Could the increased number of accidents be related to the reduced number of roadblocks , impromptu or permanent ???

    I liked mushimba, he was one of the more sober ministers under lungu………

    10
    3
  3. “I remember during my time, we recognized that we needed immediate interventions while we planned for medium and long term solutions (such as better roads, dual carriage highways between towns, public mass transit transportation systems, etc).”

    This guy is a real joker …what did you plan and what happened to your plans did you take them away when you lost? If you had tangible plans we would be seeing the fruits of your work. He talks as if they had money everything was built with debt …chinese debt ..we in serious crisis because of your recklessness. By the way how is your airline doing…another waste of $30m I wonder how much we as taxpayers are pumping in every month to keep it alfoat.

    6
    8
  4. Spaka – You are this clown sober..is he not the chap who flipped a GRZ vehicle in the early morning on a quiet road was not breathised …then run away for one month to RSA to a private clinic for bruised armpaid for by taxpayers. I hope Police re-open that case.

  5. #4  Tarino Orange 
    February 23, 2022 At 9:36 am

    “* Spaka – You are calling this clown sober..”

    Apart from flipping a vehicle……

    IMHO He was the more sober minister in lungus cabinet of clowns………..

  6. Tougher penalties/jail time for reckless drivers/bus operators will be warning to would be offenders.

  7. Research needs to be done to see if the reduced roadblocks by hungry traffic cops have contributed to the increased road accidents….. …

    Or RATSA needs to increase speed traps……….manned or unmanned.

  8. True, but, we seem to be overlooking the big fat elephant sitting in the room:- drink driving! The overriding issue in most accidents in Zambia, is drink driving! People treat alcohol as a food. By 1130hrs, most young men will have had their first pint of the day! By evening, most are truly sloshed and probably then get into a car and drive! On a visit to Zambia, I bought stuff at a cultural village – morning time; everyone was compos mentis. However, in the afternoon when I returned for something else, most traders were exuberant & whiffed of alcohol! Why are our young men leading alcoholic lives??..are there no mind enriching activities in Zambia? Very disheartening.

    #plant a tree please!

  9. @ Zennia you are right – drunk driving coupled with vehicles not being roadworthy…we lost lives just yesterday along mumbwa Rd because the truck had defective brakes – he went and hit an oncoming hi ace with passengers on board it was a scene filled with horror – blood gushing out people screaming..

  10. We need road patrols not road blocks. It’s now free all, no insurance, no road tax, no fitness certificate. We need to find away to protect lives on our roads.

  11. Why didn’t you improve roads when you were in government ? Busy with overinflated tenders on roads and more interested in getting money from Lebanese installing speed cameras at exorbitant costs.

  12. Number one we dont need any more fake traffic road blocks which were only mobile atms for traffic officers and a serious nuisance to the public. What is needed are better monitering systems in place such as CCTV cameras mounted at known danger spots and in the case of public service vehicles inspection of them before leaving the bus stations and at arrival at the end destination bus station. Carrying out of random visits to bus stations as passengers disembark where passengers are interviewed in private on how their travelling experience was is a practical and cost effective way of curbing overloading and speeding by theae public service bus operators.

  13. Here is a view of Zambian roads by a retired road engineer who visited Zambia last year: I have built thousand kilometers of road across the World. after visiting Zambia i found some of the most dangerous roads in the world in Zambia. He said the curb looks like a jagged knife, The speed humps are so high that several cars which hit into them have wrecked suspension systems without realising it, the roads are too narrow for modern wide cars, the roads are so windy even when it’s not necessary they could’ve made been made straight but for some reason they have ‘S’ curves and bends where they could be avoided. Its not just about the driver but the roads as well. I can add that driver skills are also lacking. Just count the number of slow moving cars that drive on overtaking lanes in dual…

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading