Hundreds of passengers and soccer fans were this morning stranded for over an hour at landless corner in Chisamba district of Central province when buses were impounded for various traffic offences.
A joint operation conducted by the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), Government Transport Control Unit and the Zambia Police traffic department impounded vehicles mostly buses carrying school going children and soccer fans who were rushing to Ndola to watch Zambia Vs Norway game.
Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Panji Kaunda and his counterpart Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Steven Kampyongo were among the team of officers who conducted an inspection and impounded and charged drivers with unfit vehicles.
The stranded soccer fans and passengers complained after they were delayed for over an hour as some buses were not only charged but also compelled to change tyres and repair their vehicles before they were released.
Offices from the joint team also tested drivers most of whom were found drunk.
The operation started at Kabangwe and later moved to landless corner were a driver of a Rosa bus travelling from Kabwe to Lusaka tempted to corrupt Home Affairs Deputy Minister Steven Kampyongo.
The driver of the bus was impounded for not having a first aid kit and in the process he asked the minister whom he mistook for a traffic officer to agree to a deal so that he would be released without the knowledge of others, but the minister instead called other traffic officers to charge him for trying to bribe a government officer.
He was charged KR180 for the traffic offence and strongly warned against engaging in any form of corruption.
The joint operation has since processed to Kabwe to Manyumbe area in Kapiri Mposhi district.
The operation is meant to eliminate unfit vehicles and drivers from the road in order to avoid road traffic accidents especially during weekends and holidays.
ZANIS
These guys need 2b proactive instead of reactive moreova its not the duty of a deputy minister 2 impound vehicles
It’s not ministerial duties to man a road block but to get first hand experience, these guys did a good job.
Whinging is not going to improve standards.
This action should have been captured on film and later used as part of training for traffic officers.
There is no compromise for safety…..
I think this was a good move.How i was this could go for ever to atleast make this drivers reduce drinking & driving.And there is also need to have a road worthy vehicle.But u should also give us your promises so that we can be buying nice vehicle instead of us working on the old ones.
Thanks for the efforts by Government to bring sanity on the road.This team must continue and try to supervise the Traffic Police and RATSA who allow unroad worthy vehicles and untrained drivers on the Road,
This was good for safety sake. Minibus drivers are a nuisance always. They drive while drunk and they don’t follow traffic rule. Please conduct such checks frequently.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
I hope this not a one day event.
There is just too many defective vehicles on our equally pathetic roads. Safety should not just be about vehicles alone but the state of our roads too.
We had better road network at independence than we have today
Shame on us
It was only a day event how on earth dobyou expect the miniters on the road blocks? They should have delegated this task.
Nice move all those involved. I was visiting home last June and was was driving on the Kabwe Lusaka road one night finishing that stretch was almost by the grace of God; trucks and lorries without front or tail lights were everywhere.
the problem of unroad worthy vehicles on our roads is because of traffic police, they get bribes and allow the vehicles to procced. honorable its not yo duty to go on the road but am sure u are forced to do so bcoz of the silly accidents.
honorables this shud also be used to test yo men(traffic police) already u witnesed it and thats what exactly happen at the road blocks the police.next time mount the road block after a traffic check point without the knowin n u will c how they work
traffic officers should be taught he importance of road blocks,its not a fundrasing venture for their pockets or for police stations but a way of minimizing unfit vehicles and incompetent drivers.copperbelt (esp chingola cops) police are worse.
Good job everyone involved. No drunk driver should be allowed to drive a minibus or bus. KR180 is a little fine.
its good that RTSA is doing such good work. Too bad for the minister who was almost bribed by the minibus driver. Just to say that Martin Mbangu and Cytone Kibela should also learn that those monies they got from the transporters on the copperbelt from arcades is a sreious bribe who should be investigated. The guys have no morals who seem clever but not. their actions and moves are seen by everyone.
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