Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, has directed relevant ministries to strengthen the policy framework on the prevention of road traffic accidents for public transport operators in the country.
Ms. Nalumango said the Ministries of Home Affairs, Transport and Logistics and Infrastructure Housing and Urban Development should work together in guaranteeing road safety to avoid the escalating number of traffic accidents in the country which have claimed many lives.
She said this in a speech delivered on her behalf by Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu, during the send-off church service of the 12 Great East-University of Zambia (UNZA) junction road traffic accident victims at Christ the King Parish in Kaunda Square Stage Two in Lusaka today.
Mrs. Nalumango noted with concern that the road traffic accidents are as a result of human error and neglect especially by public transport operators.
She noted that the accidents can be avoided if road safety is realised by the government and all road users.
“I direct all the line ministries to work together in ensuring that road signage is properly marked in highways, road traffic rules and regulations are adhered to by the public transport operators with no exception,’’ she said.
Munali Member of Parliament Mike Mposha called on the Ministry of Home Affairs to establish the cause of the accident and convey the report to the bereaved families as soon as possible because they have the right to know what led to the accident.
Mr. Mposha, however, thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for responding quickly to help the bereaved families with all the funeral necessities in order to lighten their burden of the loss of their loved ones.
‘’We thank the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU), the defence force and everyone who came on board in assisting the beavered families with food supplies and transport and logistics for burial during the funeral of their family members,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, emotions from family members kept pouring as they took turns to read tributes for their deceased relatives and described their sudden death as traumatising, shocking and a huge loss.
