•Road Transport Safety Agency statistics show that 92 lives were lost from January to November, 2016 in night road traffic accidents.

By CHIPEMA SAKAIMBO –
The ban of Public Service Vehicles (PSV) moving at night by Government might had been received with mixed feelings from transporters and the general public, but this demonstrates that authorities are seriously trying to find a lasting solution to the carnage on roads.
Government is mindful of its mandate to ensure that whatever solution is found, priority is given to safeguarding human lives.
Government has since maintained that, for the time being, Statutory Instrument (SI) 76 which has restricted Public Service (PSV) drivers from driving at night will remain in force.
The SI was imposed on PSV drivers in order to curb the rising number of horrific and shocking road traffic crashes the country witnessed the recent past, the majority of which were happening at night.
Road Transport Safety Agency (RTSA) statistics show that 92 lives were lost from January to November, 2016 in night road traffic accidents.
This figure represented 68 per cent of all the fatalities in road crashes which happened both in daytime and at night.
The statistics showed that daytime accidents only accounted for 32 per cent of fatalities.
RTSA Public Relations Manager Fredrick Mubanga explained that this year, the country recorded an accident every month at night apart from the month of May.
“From the time the ban was put into effect on November 28, no road traffic accidents have been recorded at night. Government is also scaling up education, enforcement and engineering strategies to stop road carnage,” he said.
The SI was issued as an immediate or interim stop gap measure while Government develops more appropriate and long lasting solutions within the broader scope of national road safety in the quest to reverse the unacceptably high levels of road crashes and fatalities.
From the time the SI was implemented, the ministry of Transport and Communications received submissions from various stakeholders who expressed concern on the negative impact of the SI on their daily basis, business transactions and overall loss of business.
These stakeholders have since made recommendations to the ministry to consider making adjustments to the current provisions of the SI taking into account some of its reported negative outcomes.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba explained that any changes or adjustments to the SI may be undertaken upon receiving a report with the taskforce.
He noted that to this end the ministry has constituted a task force to monitor and evaluate the implementation and impact of the SI on the road traffic accident situation in the country.
“The taskforce will also receive and consider submissions from all stakeholders who have been impacted by the SI and make recommendations for consideration,” he said.
Mr Mushimba said the Government is also implementing other measures alongside the SI which include enhancing road safety education, enforcement of the law on over speeding, regulating use of cell phones, fighting drink driving and encouraging proper use of seat belts.
Other measures are stamping out corruption in the issuance of driver licenses and motor vehicle examinations for road worthiness, as well as implementation of the revised instructor, a driver curriculum and motor vehicle examination manual.
He said Government will ensure that it rolls out the fast track court countrywide in order to deter would-be offenders and that there will be urgent installation of road signs and road markings by the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the local authorities.
The minister said research indicates that the occurrence of most road traffic crashes at night for PSV drivers is due to factors like poor visibility and fatigue.
It was for such reasons that the minister is pushing for other SIs to be instituted for the minimum hours of rest required for a PSV driver after driving as well as total hours of work in a week.
“Once the Driving Hours Regulation 2016 is enacted, it will supplement SI76 and further provide more lasting permanent solutions to the incidence of road crashes being experienced in the country,” he said.
The other SI to be introduced is the Global Positioning System Regulations 2016 which will require the owner of a PSV vehicle authorised to carry passengers or goods to equip it with a GPS device capable of monitoring the speed of the motor vehicle.
Public and Private Drivers Association of Zambia (PPDAZ) said that the ban for night driving of PSV drivers has come at a right time because most drivers were being over used.
This simply means that most PSV drivers didn’t have enough rest because they were forced to drive both during the day and at night.
PPDAZ president Josiah Majuru said the night ban is a perfect solution in curbing road traffic accidents which the country has witness at night in the past.
Mr Majuru said road carnage affected the economy as the country lost human resource and colossal sums of money in taking care of accident victims who spend time in hospitals.
“We are in full support of the Government for maintaining the SI. It simply shows that the Government it is putting the lives of all Zambians first. We can’t be losing so many lives every month all in the name of business,” he said.
Mr Majuru has since urged members of the public, especially the business community, to accept the Government’s decision because in the end, it is their lives that are being safeguarded.
The maintenance of the night ban by Government shows that it is focused on creating legislation enable the environment to be conducive for all for stakeholders in the transport and the business sectors.
The business community should also have in mind the fact that it is not the intention of the Government to introduce regulations that will stifle the growth of the private sector.
Instead, the Government wants to safeguard the life of each and every citizen.