NOT less than 600 unregistered vehicles from abroad land in Lusaka every month.
This is in addition to other vehicles that trek to other parts of the country in the same month.
In short it could be estimated that not less than 1,000 new vehicles cross the borders into the country each month.
These vehicles come to occupy space in the country as there are no corresponding reports that indicate that the same vehicles trek out of the country to other countries in a transit fashion.
At school we leant that matter occupies space and every vehicle that is driven into this country will occupy space.
The rate of the influx of vehicles coming into the country must be posing as a nightmare to the planning authorities.
In Lusaka alone in the day light, the number of vehicles being driven to and fro in any busy road out-numbers the people moving in the same direction to and fro.
At one time as I was on the first floor of a building facing Independence Avenue, I was prompted to count 100 vehicles going in different directions.
My projection of vehicles passing through the Independence Avenue was 6,000 in 60 minutes that is if other vehicles did not pass through for the second time in the same period.
However, my reason of writing this article is to look into the challenges that the influx of vehicles will pose in the near future.
The challenge creates business opportunities especially on the part of Small Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in as far as controlling space that each vehicle occupies whether in the night or day time.
As it is today, it is not easy to find parking space especially in the central business district, if one goes into town around 09:00 hours.
It is equally difficult to find parking space even at institutions like the University Teaching Hospital because of increased number of vehicles.
I have witnessed, at times, when the traffic flow is disturbed because of heavy rains, this courses a serious traffic jam on the roads.
On average vehicle life span is five years and at this stage it will be considered as scrap and ready to be discarded.
I may be challenged here that the vehicles have been there even before and that they have been discarded systematically, however, my bone of contention is that the influx of vehicles as at now has gone much higher.
This has directed me to SMEs to formulate business plans on how to deal with scrap metal.
Businesses will have to be formulated on how to deal with vehicles which will become useless due to wear and tear.
This is so because space will have to be created for the new vehicles which will be imported each year as seen already.
Planners like the local authorities and the Road Development Agency (RDA) will have to plan ahead on road expansion and must work hand-in-hand with the SMEs who are dealing in the scrap metal business.
The question that must be posed as at now is, do we have organised scrap metals companies that systematically take in discarded vehicles that have become useless  and are not roadworthy?
The projection of discarded vehicles in five years should be a basis for entrepreneurs to organize scrap metal companies.
It is true the definition of the scrap according to the goggle internet search is discarded or used thing with no lifespan.
In this case scrap metal may not be restricted to vehicles that have done the last mileage and is rested for good but also other discarded forms of metal.
For this reason, organised scrap metal business to support recycling of metal which will be for value addition should be the vision of the Scrap Metal Association of Zambia.For comments contact cell 0950458228 or email: wklpublications699@gmail.com