The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) is devising another strategy that will help it to effectively curb the use of small buses on intercity routes.
RTSA Public Relations Officer, Mukela Mangolwa, told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, that the use of small buses on intercity routes was against the stipulated traffic rules.
He said RTSA would take stern action against bus operators that were flouting the laid down traffic rules which are meant to promote road safety in the country.
Mr. Mangolwa warned that those found wanting risked being fined and ultimately have their operational licences revoked.
He said the agency had been conducting road patrols to ensure that public transport operators observed traffic rules to guarantee passengers’ safety.
And when asked what the agency was doing to ensure buses operating on the international routes complied with the traffic rules, Mr. Mangolwa said RTSA always ensured that the buses that operate on international routes were of acceptable standards before issuing them licences.
Mr. Mangolwa however, stated that the agency also depended on information from the public for it to enhance its operations.
He has since advised the public to report to RSTA, any bus operator who did not comply with the laid down traffic rules and regulations.
ZANIS/MDP/KSH/ENDS
All this is crap, what RTSA should focus on is coming up with alternative routes in big cities. For example in Lusaka all the buses in the city SHOULD NOT be heading into town always, let us have buses go from kabulonga to gardern, from avondale to kabulonga and so on and so forth. If such buses are introduced, traffic in town will be less
Total rubish!!!!
RTSA i still think there should be small buses from entercity to compounds as its difficult to go to town to get a small bus to your compound, one has to book a cab.
AND WHAT ARE THOSE LAID DOWN RULES?
people, the article is talking about INTERCITY buses not INTRACITY buses. From your comments, kuoneka chizungu chakupitani.
#5 Kindly explain what RTSA has said. I cant get anyting. The guy cant respond according to the issue
At first I was worried but after read the article twice my mind has been put at peace. #5, well said. I was worried for tuma bus twandi.
#5 and #7 Spot on. However even on intracity we need to remove them. Why can’t we have big buses introduced like it is may be in UK where you have time buses some every 5 minutes. I know we may be thinking of Kaunda daysand job loses but this one may involve the very minibus owners coming up to make a conglomerate whereby we could have may be six of them operating in specific routes. That would reduce on congestion and bring sanity on the roads since law breakers will be easily identified.
I totally agree on that the focus is on the Intercity problem, but I agree with #1. The project should not only be focused on the intercity project, RTSA should focus both the intercity and the intracity transportaion issue. We have so many well educated individuals in Zambia yet there are so many screw ups.
RTSA your job is very simple and does not need calculus. First thing is that you need to work in collaboration with bus operators, local government and the public. Infrastructure and other amenties such as good shelter is paramount in the operations of the transport sector. On the intracity routes, there is need to decongest the town centre- NOW!!! Create bus stations that are strategically located in the city where people can connect to get into town centre. For intercity routes, first of all ban all the small buses like Hiace (14 passengers), and Rosa (36 passengers and allow only bigger buses .
Contd: Please to save people’ s lives- ban buses from travelling in the night (MONGU ROUTE) Its dangerous as drivers are tired and sleepy in the night. Don’t wait for disaster to stirike before you can act. Kulima tower and Millenium bus stations should be relocated from the from the heart of the town centre immediately to decongest it.