•REPUBLICAN Vice-President Guy Scott (second right) flanked by Road Transport and Safety Agency executive officer Zindaba Soko, Central Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta (right) and Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit national coordinator Patrick Kangwa (in suit) touring the black spot where two fatal road traffic accidents took place recently. Picture by CLEVER ZULU

By  SYLVIA MWEETWA  –
THE continued loss of lives on the Great North Road in Chibombo area has been a source of concern to everyone
The continued reports of road traffic accidents on the stretch of the road is rapidly creating  phobia to the travellers.
This has attracted the attention of the second highest office in Zambia.
Vice-President Guy Scott recently made a spot check at the accident scene to have first hand information.
Dr Scott said the continued loss of lives were unacceptable and urged the police to ensure that the  check points were increased and expressed shock that on his way to Chibombo he only saw two check points.
He said the loss of lives were not only costly but unproductive and that there was need for an urgent  solution while the Government considers the issue of a dual carriage way.
Dr Scott called for increased check pointson the Great North to reduce on the road carnage which has  continued to claim lives.
The vice-president who toured the Great North Road and selected black spots in  Chibombo said it was saddening that Zambia had continued to lose lives due to road accidents and that there was need to find a long lasting solution to save lives and property.
Dr Scott who was accompanied by Central Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta, Central Province  Permanent Secretary Edwige Mutale, District Commissioners and other senior Government officials.
“As I was travelling here I noticed that there was only two check points along the way, I think  there is need to increase the check points to reduce on accidents,” he said.
Dr Scott said the Government was concerned that the road had continued to claim lives with the last  one in which five people died few metres from the Post bus accident in which 50 people died.
Dr Scott later took time to speak to marketeers at John  Chinena and explained that Government was  concerned with the accidents and that it would work towards finding a lasting solution.
Mr Mwaliteta said there was need to regulate the movement of public vehicles considering that recent studies indicated most drivers were fatigued by the time they reach Kabwe but most of them opt to  continue with their journey.
Mr Mwaliteta was concerned that most drivers in which lives have been lost were Zambian and that  most of the accidents were as a result of human error. “I want to state that most of these accidents are of human error nature and most of them are coming from the  direction  of  Kabwe  and  not Lusaka which is the  reason why we  need to regulate  the  movement because this is the only way to save lives,” he said.
The minister said
Central Province was
suffering more than any other province which has not just  claimed lives but property and left several people
injured.
Apart from human
error, Mr Mwaliteta said the accidents were as a result of the heavy traffic from all the provinces.
He cited the Nakonde-Dar-es-salaam through to Copperbelt, Southern, Muchinga, Northern and Luapula provinces through Tuta road. Copperbelt, Kasumbalesa through to South Africa, Western, Northern Provinces and international
traffic through Chirundu bridge, Kariba, Malawi among others.
The administration in Central province would be meet the Zambia Police, Road Safety and Transport Agency (RTSA), Road Development Agency (RDA) and other stakeholder to  strategise over the continued  accidents on the Great north road after which a report would be presented to the Vice-President’s  office for action.
RTSA Chief executive officer Zindaba Soko said plans were underway to put a road sign at black  spot which would work like a reflector at night.
He said the agency would continue to partner with police to reduce accidents in Zambia.
Some residents talked to welcomed the decision by the Government to consider expanding the road  but asked them to take the project seriously to save lives.
If the accidents were as a result of human error like tiredness, dozing or speeding or due to mechanical failure of vehicles what then would be the solution?
Given, the current scenario it is clear that there is need to prioritise in the ongoing phase two  of the link Zambia 8,000 of which instead of having two lanes each way in the dual carriage way, there should be three lanes this is because the volume of traffic would continue to increase considering that Zambia had continued to attract investment opportunities from various parts of the world.
After all is said and done the question still remains if the nightmare of the continued accidents  on various spots which has claimed lives and led  to loss of property will be resolved.