Govt fumes over bad attitude by transport owners

GOVERNMENT has expressed concern over a growing trend by local cross border transportation company owners of neglecting their drivers in times of tragedies.

Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali observed that it has become a trend for owners to neglect their employees whenever they are involved in accidents or other calamities.

Mr Tayali was speaking during the burial of former Zambia Union for Tanker Drivers and Allied Workers president Bob Ndalama in Ndola on Wednesday,

He cited an incident where a female Zambian truck driver, Ms Memory Banda was neglected after being involved in a road accident in South Africa.

He explained that upon realising that nothing was being done to help the victim by her employers, he was forced to travel to South Africa to visit her.

Mr Tayali also expressed disappointment that despite working for many years, the owner of the company where Mr Ndalama worked failed to pay his last respect when he was within Ndola but instead sent a representative.

"Bob’s death has made me to bring out some issues. This lady called Memory Banda was on transit carrying dangerous goods and on the way, she got involved in an accident in South Africa.

"Unfortunately for Memory, she was hospitalised like a person who was not an employee of some company. We talked to our mission in South Africa and advised the union to talk to her employers. I was forced to travel to South Africa to help her with necessities and finances," Mr Tayali said.

He said that his ministry will soon have a meeting with different union leaders in the transport sector to address the matter.

Meanwhile, Mr Tayali described Mr Ndalama as fearless, peaceful and selfless leader, adding that his death is a loss to the transport sector.

And Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia secretary general Benson Tembo disclosed that few a years back, the oil sector was dominated by foreign transporters.

Mr Tembo said after being elected as president, Mr Ndalama ensured that local transporters were also engaged to transport imported fuel.

“The then government was forced to allow local transporters to participate in the transportation of imported fuel because of the pressure from Mr Ndalama.

“From 2015 when he became the president there has been growth in the petroleum sector from 36 to 50 tankers to over 3, 000 cross border tankers, jobs were created in the sector because of Mr Ndalama,” he said.