Poor roads worry Kasama residents

Poor roads worry Kasama residents

 

Kasama, Feb 26/14, Kasama residents have complained over some poor and highly eroded roads rendering motorists shunning some areas.

 

The residents, who stormed ZANIS offices in Kasama today, described the state of township roads, which have not been rehabilitated for long time in Location, New Town, Chibote and Namulundu as pathetic.

 

They also added that the situation has been aggravated by the continuous heavy rains which have eroded most of the un-rehabilitated roads which have become impassable to motorists.

 

One of the residents, Martin Bwalya, feared that when someone falls sick in the night taxi drivers fail to reach some homes due to impassable roads.

 

Mr Bwalya called on relevant authorities to gravel the roads as it will prove difficult to upgrade them to bituminous level if nothing is done quickly.

 

He complained that even the ones which have been rehabilitated are getting affected as drainage systems have not been completed.

 

The residents pointed out that the water from drains of rehabilitated roads has caused high erosion of other roads needing quick action by Government.

 

When contacted for a comment, Kasama District Commissioner (DC) Kalanga Bwalya, said his office was aware of the problem and Kasama Municipal Council Engineering Section has been tasked to work on covering serious pot holes.

 

Mr Bwalya added that the measure is temporary but Government has planned to repair 10 km of township roads in the 2014 Link Zambia programme to add on to the 19 km 2013 project.

 

Meanwhile, Kasama district has been hit by a critical shortage of fuel causing long queues of vehicles looking for the commodity in the three main filling stations.

 

The motorists have complained that the fuel shortage has been going on for a long time.

They wondered why the situation could not be corrected as fuel runs out almost every week and described the situation as devastating and frustrating.