Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, has directed relevant ministries to strengthen the policy framework on the prevention of road traffic accidents for public transport operators in the country.
Ms. Nalumango said the Ministries of Home Affairs, Transport and Logistics and Infrastructure Housing and Urban Development should work together in guaranteeing road safety to avoid the escalating number of traffic accidents in the country which have claimed many lives.
She said this in a speech delivered on her behalf by Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu, during the send-off church service of the 12 Great East-University of Zambia (UNZA) junction road traffic accident victims at Christ the King Parish in Kaunda Square Stage Two in Lusaka today.
Mrs. Nalumango noted with concern that the road traffic accidents are as a result of human error and neglect especially by public transport operators.
She noted that the accidents can be avoided if road safety is realised by the government and all road users.
“I direct all the line ministries to work together in ensuring that road signage is properly marked in highways, road traffic rules and regulations are adhered to by the public transport operators with no exception,’’ she said.
Munali Member of Parliament Mike Mposha called on the Ministry of Home Affairs to establish the cause of the accident and convey the report to the bereaved families as soon as possible because they have the right to know what led to the accident.
Mr. Mposha, however, thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for responding quickly to help the bereaved families with all the funeral necessities in order to lighten their burden of the loss of their loved ones.
‘’We thank the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU), the defence force and everyone who came on board in assisting the beavered families with food supplies and transport and logistics for burial during the funeral of their family members,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, emotions from family members kept pouring as they took turns to read tributes for their deceased relatives and described their sudden death as traumatising, shocking and a huge loss.
How do you attract readers with such headlines that are full of jargon? Get an editor!
The Veep didnt even read this speech herself that’s how serious she takes this issue…she will end up like the previous Veep old hen Bo Inonge who was toothless
Don’t compare that ugly soul to our respected former VP
How shallow…. everything is there to prevent accidents on our roads…. it’s the person entrusted to do the job who’s the problem. I’ll repeat… the policeman is the problem. Because of his love for money he allows unfit drivers to drive unfit vehicles on our roads.
Fit all policemen with body cameras…. that way we monitor corruption by drivers and policemen.
And the business owner who hires unfit drivers not included in the rot? Are drivers and police paid a living wage? The whole system is broken but obviously it works for some.
Like all past governments, very reactive. No proactivity at all. We lost lives needlessly. At the rate the mini bus drivers are behaving in Zambia, had it been in much more civilized jurisdictions, half of the mini bus drivers would have their drivers license suspended for some time or indefinitely, in some countries it takes up to 5 years for a parole board to hear an appeal from a driver whose licence had been suspended. If there are no consequnces, this will continue. Look at also the UCZ carelessly allowing their women folk to move at 01 hrs and needlessly loosing lives
To stop these evil deaths caused by upnd, pray hard and vote pf.