The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), has conveyed heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the road traffic accident that happened along the Maamba road in the early hours of Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Seven people died on the spot and 13 others sustained serious injuries following a fatal road accident that happened around 06:00 hours.
The road accident happened after the driver of a Man Diesel truck Registration No. ALL 9420, failed to keep to his lane resulting in a head on collision with an oncoming Mitsubishi Canter registration no. BAG 4215.
Preliminary accident investigations conducted by RTSA have revealed that the driver of the truck, Owen Hamwene, aged 26 was driving at an excessive speed through a stretch of a curvy road.
And RTSA Chief Executive Officer Gladwell Banda said the agency is concerned with the negligent behavior of the truck driver and has observed that lives would not have been lost if he had exercised maximum patience and considered other road users.
Mr Banda noted that it is saddening that some motorists have continued disregarding the rules on the roads, violating the driver’s duty of reasonable care and have repeatedly demonstrated to be a danger to the public.
Meanwhile, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has scaled up law enforcement, with a close target on public service transport, following the closing of schools across the country.
The agency has since reiterated its call to school authorities, parents and guardians to ensure that their children use registered public transport and avoid using trucks and vans as they travel back to their respective destinations for the school holidays.
The agency has also reaffirmed its commitment to road safety for pupils and other commuters and will accelerate interventions to reduce the risk of vulnerable road users such as children being involved in road accidents.
This was contained in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by RATSA Head of Public Relations Fredrick Mubanga.
This is really sad news. Our condolences to everyone that have lost their loved ones
Please enforce the laws of the land. The reason we are even talking about Bill 10 is because we think we have missing laws. If you look closely we DO have laws and they CAN work if we are WILLING to enforce them. These deaths are needless…
Perhaps, traveling in the open wagon of vehicles like Canters should be banned – as people traveling at the back of vehicles like that, won’t be secured with safety belts. Any mishap will likely result in fatalities.