INSPECT LONG DISTANCE BUSES, RTSA URGED

THE Commuter Rights Association of Zambia has called on the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to begin conducting random inspections on long distance buses in an effort to reduce road accidents.
Commuter Rights Association of Zambia chairperson Aaron Kamuti accused some bus drivers of  engaging unlicensed co-drivers to assist them drive  long distance buses.
Mr Kamuti said the trend had been going on for a while and RTSA was not aware.
He said it was the same co- drivers that had contributed to the increased road accidents the country had continued to experience.
“A number of PSV drivers were not qualified that is why RTSA should come in and conduct random inspections in order to stop these happenings,” he said.
But when contacted for a comment, RTSA senior public relations manager Mercy Mwila said bus operators should ensure that only qualified drivers drove their buses.
Ms Mwila said RTSA conducted checks in various parts of the country and that it was a responsibility of bus operators to ensure that right people drove their buses.
“Bus operators subscribe to the rules and it’s also their responsibility to ensure that their drivers adhere to the rules,” Ms Mwila said.
She said RTSA had engaged bus operators during its stakeholder meetings in an effort to reduce the road accidents.