By Dixon Bwalya –
From among those in authority, may be the Road Transport and Safety Agency, the Road Development Agency or the Local Authority it could even be the Ministry of Transport or members of Parliament (MPs) in the affected constituencies, is there no one who can be touched and moved sufficiently to do something meaningful to reduce the carnage, the loss of life and property that is always taking place at the under bridge on the Kafubu River in Ndola?
The latest is a case of three people who drowned when the car they were driving in plunged into Kafubu River on Sunday, October 5, 2014, when they were on their way home as reported in the print media.
Not too long before that a car smashed into a tree at the same sport injuring the occupants while a week or so earlier a car plunged into the river ripping off the engine and life was once again lost.
It could be true that alcohol intake may have contributed to some of these tragedies but this is only, among other factors, at play at this stretch of Dag Drive in Itawa residential area of Ndola.
First of all most, if not all, of these mishaps have taken place at night and secondly an examination of the profile of the stretch of Dag Drive starting from the traffic lights on President Avenue to just before the point where Dag Drive becomes a dual carriage way will reveal some treacherous points which may be dangerous to drivers who may not be paying attention especially at night.
Articles have been written before about experiences at the under bridge, these experiences which negatively affect safety in driving  will soon be repeated once again at the onset of the rain season; this has to do with pot holes that keep re-occurring at this point due to poor underground drainage of storm water.
Again articles have been written under this column about the importance of effective signage in our built environment meant to direct, inform and control both vehicular and pedestrian traffic through architectural and or urban sites and spaces rendering one’s passage through space a totally controlled environmental experience.
This is done through the use of universal signs graphic systems done both visually and physically.
As one drives from President Avenue down Dag Drive the first hazard is the very sharp obstacle created by the outer concrete curbs forming the T-Junction of the Depot Road which make a driver to steer the car towards one’s right in order to avoid hitting the curb or indeed the tree that is located at this corner.
The direction of Dag Drive changes significantly at this point as the driver has to, once again, steer the car towards the left hand side failure to which you would be heading straight for the river.
As one crosses the bridge and if one has taken some “sleeping tablets” the hazard becomes the limited road shoulders on either side of the road posed by the river edges which if crossed especially when overtaking another vehicle or the “sleeping tablets” have began to take effect will lead to plunging into the river resulting, of course, in disastrous consequences as has been experienced along this spot.
A further drive up the road and just after Oryx Filling station brings you to another very sharp and blind curve on your right. These hazards become more risky to the driver at night because of reduced visibility and lack of adequate road traffic signs and markings
A road stretch of this type of profile and accommodating a narrow bridge should not allow overtaking of vehicles. According to the Zambian Highway Code, a white line marks the centre of the road and helps to guide drivers on the extent of the lane they are driving in and this is extremely important especially at night to avoid drivers straying on to the other lane of oncoming vehicles or indeed completely off the road.
There are two issues concerning this stretch of the road, which if the analysis is correct, has not been attended to and may be contributing factors to the spate of accidents that have taken place.
The existing centre white line on Dag Drive is a broken white line instead of a solid white line meaning overtaking of vehicles is allowed and secondly the centre white line is hardly visible at night meaning those driving at night and especially those under the influence of “sleeping tablets” will find difficulties in maintaining driving while keeping to their lane.
The Highway Code has various road signs to mark hazards on our roads, for instance, ripple humps on roads are used to warn drivers that they are approaching a Pedestrian or Railway crossings to enable the driver take the necessary precautions and may even awaken a dozing driver who may have taken an over doze of the prescribed tablets.
The same Highway Code also provides for the mounting of various warning visual roads signs to warn drivers against, say, sharp curves to enable drivers slow down and take precautions.
It is also the practice in signage on Zambian roads to have reflective chevrons hazard markers mounted along the edges of bridges all of which should be prominently visible to those driving during the night time.
An examination of this stretch of Dag Drive reveals that there are no such meaningful road signs in existence thereby and successfully endangering those driving on this road; in fact the same may be said about the signage on the Kafubu Bridge on the Kabwe Road near the Golf club
Yes and it has admitted that some of the fatal accidents that have taken place at the under bridge on Dag Drive in Ndola may have been a result of alcohol intake but as a society those responsible for maintaining our roads in order to enhance safety must do what is expected of them.
Sometimes cost is used as an excuse for not executing their duties but quantify and compare the cost of the life and property that has been lost on this spot and add to that the increased number of orphans, widows and widowers; the net result will be a loss to Zambia.
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