Recent statistics show that road traffic crashes continue to claim thousands of people in the country, a situation that has forced the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to administer the Road Traffic Act No. 11 of 2002 to its fullest and embrace the United Nations’ Decade of Action, which was launched in 2010.
In acknowledging the proclamation of the Decade of Action by the UN to reduce road traffic crashes by 50 per cent, the Agency has seen 2014 as a turning point to re-focus its energies and resources towards eliminating all inappropriate and risky behavior on public roads.
In essence what this means is identifying the key factors that can help develop a road transport system that can accommodate human error and take into consideration the vulnerability of the human body.
This entailed focusing on the three factors that have been identified as key tools in achieving road safety; engineering, education and enforcement.
The RTSA recognises that 2013 saw a slight decline in the number of road traffic deaths to 1,800 from 2,300 in 2012; an attainment that would not have been made if the collaboration of the three E’s was not implemented. We therefore need to work round the clock to reduce the numbers of road traffic accidents by 50 per cent by the year 2020.
In 2013 that the government of the republic of Zambia actualised the need for more road traffic inspectors to ensure that public roads were consistently managed to rid them of bad road user behaviour.
The recruitment of these road traffic inspectors means that at least all provinces in the country with their highways are being managed on a 24 hour basis. Currently these inspectors are also stationed at Inter-Bus Stations to monitor the physical status of public service stations before they leave for inter-city destinations.
The need for 24 hour inspectors on public roads comes in the wake of the revelation that most drivers are either unlicensed or have attended unregistered driving schools and hence lack road safety knowledge. This has resulted in countless cases of abrogation of road traffic rules and regulations. The presence of road traffic inspectors on major highways and central business district roadways not only helped to manage contraveners but has also helped to fight against road crashes within these areas.
In a bid to address the scourge, particularly cases culminating in road traffic crashes, the RTSA in collaboration with the Judiciary and the Lusaka City Council established the fast track court on traffic offences. This is to ensure among other things that road traffic matters are dealt within shortest period of time.
Under the fast track court, offenders found wanting in the area of drink-driving are fined or subjected to weekend imprisonment as prescribed by the law.
The introduction of the fast track court in September, 2013 is a milestone in preventing unnecessary road traffic accidents – especially those caused by drunken drivers.
It is against this background that Road Transport and Safety Agency and the Judiciary signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to roll out the Fast Track Courts on Traffic Offences to all the 10 provinces in Zambia.
The signing of this MoU is aimed at reducing road carnage through the prosecution of road traffic offenders thereby deterring would be offenders.
The Fast Track courts have also proved to be a good vehicle to use in changing the bad driver attitude and behaviour on public roads.
The prevention on these accidents will result in saving over billions of resources normally gobbled due to hospital bills, infrastructural re-construction, and other challenges that come as a result of accidents.
Whilst enforcement is key because it deters repeated offences, the RTSA understands the need to ensure that all three E’s are coordinated and implemented to make a significant difference on the number of road traffic crashes and deaths in the country.
As such, the Agency made in-roads in 2013 when it began to engage the Road Development Agency (RDA) on the need to urgently implement measures to promote safer roads. The Agency recognises that roads are a crucial contributor to many of our life’s essential activities and to social and economic development.
Infrastructure plays a crucial role in road safety; and RTSA knows this fact.
This equally comes in the wake of unraveling the fact that T2 and T3 have had high levels of traffic crashes and a need to curb further deaths is paramount.
In this regard that recently, the RTSA led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Zindaba Soko undertook an inspection of the 206 Kilometre (km) portion of the T2 Road between Lusaka and KapiriMposhi and the 225 Km portion of the T3 Road between Kapiri Mposhi and Chingola.
It is no doubt that well-designed roads can help people use roads safely and minimise the risk that a crash will occur.
Under the decade of action, safer vehicles are annotated as key factors in ensuring road safety
The agency has also placed road safety in the palms of all road users, as they can prevent and report traffic offences such as drinking and driving, careless driving, reckless driving, dangerous driving, over speeding among others by calling the RTSA Call Centre Toll free line 983 and the short code 7872 text message transmission.
Furthermore, a team of experts from the RTSA and the Curriculum Development Centre was tasked to develop Road Safety education books that are to be integrated into the Zambian School curriculum.
And government through the Ministry of Education has approved the road safety education books, meaning that road safety education will now be taught as a subject in primary and secondary schools.
The agency also recognizes the important role that traditional leaders play in the fight against road accidents. A team of road safety experts took time to discuss various road safety issues with the House of Chiefs and bobby traditional leaders to put road safety as part of agenda in their respective chiefdoms. To this effect a road safety education and publicity program has been drawn up to roll out road safety in various chiefdoms.
As means of improving the road transport system in the country, government introduced the Statutory Instrument No.63 of 2013 of the Road Traffic Act No.11 of 2002 to regulate the color code for mini buses and taxis.
The transport sector is in did a crucial contributor to many of our life’s essential activities and to social economic development. Therefore, a safe and efficient transport system is a pre – requissit in fostering Zambia’s socioeconomic development and the reduction of road crashes.
Therefore, we all need to join hands, and act now to stop road traffic accident in Zambia by 50 per cent by the year 2020.
