Happy New Year to you all! The increase in the number of pirate taxis may largely be blamed on the serious anomaly on the minimum age limit of 25 years for one to qualify to obtain a Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) licence for both passengers and goods motor vehicles.
Any person below that prescribed age limit is considered under the current law to be immature.
Ironically, for someone to be elected ward councilor or Member of Parliament, they need to have attained a minimum age of 21.
This discrepancy honestly requires urgent harmonisation as when pensively considered goes to undermine our national leadership which begins at 21 years apart from the Republican Presidency which has been set at 35 years minimum.
As we are eager to create employment for our youths, let us try to review some archaic laws that hinder progress in order to conform with our current circumstances.
All the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) needs to do is to revise the age limit and introduce a comprehensive training programme for would-be PSV drivers.
If one becomes councillor or Member of Parliament at the age of 21 years, can they fail to competently drive PSV motor vehicles which they can even own and pass laws or by-laws on?
McDonald Mulongoti
Chingola
