Deal with careless public drivers, RTSA told

GOVERNMENT has directed the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to invoke the provisions of the law to reprimand public transport drivers abrogating traffic regulations as they have become a danger to the safety of other road users.

The state also directed the RTSA to put up modalities to monitor the conduct of public transport drivers amid the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent further loss of lives.

Ministry of Transport and Communication permanent secretary, Misheck Lungu, said it was regrettable that the country recorded four separate road crashes involving public transport vehicles where nine people died and several others injured in the last two days.

Mr Lungu said the manner in which public transport drivers were disregarding traffic rules was worrisome.

He regretted that accidents had resulted in loss of lives of people that could have contributed to the country's national development.

The Permanent Secretary said public transport drivers had an obligation to safeguard the lives of the travelling public by not over-speeding.

“Government through the Ministry of Transport and Communications wish to convey its condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured a quick recovery,” Mr Lungu said in a statement.

He said the country was faced with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic which had affected the operations of many institutions, a situation that had reduced the physical presence of both the Zambia Police Service and the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to conduct scaled up traffic law enforcement on public roads.

Mr Lungu cautioned public transport drivers and operators to comply with traffic regulations in a bid to avoid people negligently dying from road accidents which could be avoided.