By FLAVIOR CHISHALA –
THE socio-economic development and subsequent economic growth of any nation is strongly linked to its transport infrastructure.
Lack of adequate transport systems is one of the major factors that hamper development in any nation, particularly the African continent.
Without good roads, it is difficult to have socially-inclusive development interventions.
In Zambia, rural roads are a specific area of concern.
Bad rural roads impose significant limitations on the growth and development of rural communities.
Rural communities can effectively drive the socio-economic development of the country and feel more included in national level interventions, but they are being hindered by limited access to good roads connecting them to the larger society.
But all this will soon be a thing of the past because the Patriotic Front Government is changing the face of Zambia.
The Government saw that the level and quality of transportation systems were of crucial significance in influencing political, economic and social progress, and these must be considered at every stage of local, national and regional development planning.
Zambia has in the recent past experienced numerous road infrastructure development and nearly all the 10 provinces have had a taste of this development.
The importance of a good road network cannot be over-emphasised.
Good roads can ensure substantial employment opportunities for the rural poor and help boost the rural economy.
One such place where the rural people have benefited is the Eastern Province where a total of 360 kilometres of the Great East Road has been rehabilitated.
The rehabilitation project was awarded to two contractors, namely, Mota-engil and Conduril from Portugal, under the supervision of different resident engineers.
About 246 kilometres was awarded to Mota-engil while 114 kilometres was taken by Conduril. The project has since created jobs for the local people.
Eastern Province is a hive of agricultural activities ranging from groundnuts production to cultivation of bananas, among other crops.
Therefore, a well-designed road system would help farmers to take their produce to urban markets quicker, more safely and efficiently.
As the saying goes, a good road network is a matter of safety, cost efficiency and increased value because vehicles like trucks and farming equipment will not break down frequently because they will be driven on good quality roads rather than on rough terrain.
Works on the Great East Road, which are scheduled to finish by the end of May this year, are nearing completion and the situation has elated Road Development Agency (RDA) Board chairperson Samuel Mukupa.
However, Mr Mukupa appealed to Chipata residents to desist from removing safety features from the newly rehabilitated road.
Mr Mukupa also implored Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone to ensure that the council monitored garbage disposal in the area.
He was speaking after meeting Mr Sichone during the road inspection recently.
Mr Mukupa said Chipata town had experienced a lot of negligence by residents who resorted to stealing drainage pipes.
He said the attitude had forced his agency to replace all drainage pipes with concrete culverts to reduce on vandalism.
But this has not solved the problem because the new drains also attracted many people who had turned them into dumping sites.
He urged the minister to keep reminding the council not to neglect their duties in order to maintain the new road.
Mr Mukupa called for education of the residents on the importance of not erecting structures too close to the road.
He said many people had encroached on the road reserve, making it costly for the Government to relocate such structures during road construction.
“We are asking you to help the council do their job because there is a lot of encroachment on the road reserve and this is costing the Government large sums of money,” Mr Mukupa said.
He said the safety features, which included sign posts and pipes, were not for making pots.
The visit by the RDA entourage did not only end in Chipata District but was extended to Vubwi, Mambwe, Mfuwe and Chadiza.
Mr Mukupa commended the contractor for its resilience despite facing so many hurdles.
He said there were many competing needs for the available resources, which was why the resources were not flowing as smoothly as expected.
He paid tribute to Vubwi and Chadiza districts for not losing patience about delayed road works.
“We are mindful of the programmes that are slowing down because of the financial constraints and competing needs but we assure you that all the projects that already commenced will be completed soon,” Mr Mukupa said.
He said Eastern Province was a very critical province to national development as it shared borders with two neighbouring countries which could add more value if the Great East Road was efficiently constructed and linked.
Mr Mukupa also assured the residents of Vubwi, Chidiza and the contractor that the Government would look into their plight because their challenges had been noted.
He expressed happiness about the completed Chipata-Mfuwe Road but regretted that the residents in Mambwe had started a quarry right next to the K422 million road.
Mr Mukupa urged the traditional and political leaderships to sensitise the residents on the importance of maintaining the road to enhance its lifespan.
“This is your road but if quarrying is allowed along the road it will cause a lot of damage and eventually weaken it,” he said.
The upgraded road would have economic significance on the country because it leads to Luangwa National Park.
The road would also enhance trade and promote tourism for local and foreign tourists, as it would reduce travel time, travel costs and earn the country foreign exchange.
Mr Mukupa said it was the Government’s desire to fulfil the dream of making Zambia a land-linked country that was connected to as many countries as possible.
Resident engineer in charge of Nyimba–Petauke and Sinda lot Gianmarco Dall’acqua appealed for urgent measures to control the movement of heavy trucks.
Dr Dall’acqua said the investment put in the rehabilitation was so huge, hence the need to take good care of the road.
“We have noted that most of the trucks that pass along this road are way overloaded and too much a burden for the road, so the Government must apply control to the way most trucks are loaded if this road has to last,” he said.
Dr Dall’acqua said that Great East Road was a busy road which if not well-maintained would not last the stipulated lifespan of 20 years.
RDA vice-chairperson Phidelia Mwaba said the agency was doing everything possible to control the axle load.
Ms Mwaba said it was the desire of the agency to see to it that the quality of works was according to the design.
She appealed to supervisors not to relax and avoid leaving contractors unsupervised which often contributed to delayed road works.
“We want a situation where we can have overloaded trucks offloaded at our toll gates apart from just charging them,” she said.
Ms Mwaba said Great East Road had the potential to cut down on transportation costs for transporters of goods from Mozambique and other neighbouring countries.
She said RDA was aware of the large sums of money spent on the road, hence the need to have a good road network that would help grow the economy.
Vubwi District Commissioner Eniless Banda implored the RDA to speed up the works on Chipata-Vubwi Road.
Ms Banda said that most of the works had stalled resulting in delayed completion. She said this when the RDA entourage called on her.
Ms Banda thanked the Government for considering to upgrade her newly-created district through the Link Zambia 8000 road project.
“We are very grateful that we will now feel what it is like to walk on a tarred road unlike previously when the state of the road was so bad that people in the area felt left out,” Ms Banda said.
She was hopeful that works could be done before the elections so that the Government could not be accused of using the project as a campaign strategy.
The Chipata-Vubwi Road is being constructed by China Jiangx.
Chief residence engineer Giuseppe Carrubba said the road was a very important national asset which needed a lot of investment.
However, Mr Carrubba appealed to RDA to consider carrying out routine road maintenance every after two years so as to extend the durability of the road.
Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone said success was not only about resources but also the kind of leadership that existed in a certain place.
Mr Sichone said the Link Zambia 8000 road project was another milestone in the country’s development as it was labour-intensive and created jobs for the youth.
He said about 1,000 local people, among them, women had benefited from the project through employment.
The full rehabilitation of the 360 kilometres of the Great East Road included sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists, replacement of bridges that were usually washed away by rains and enhancement of safety features such as road signs.