Tue, 14 Mar 2017 09:48:28 +0000
By CHIKUMBI KATEBE
TRANSPORTERS have hailed Government’s decision to revise the night driving regulation through the introduction of a 50-km radius beyond the 21.00 hours deadline.
Some drivers talked to said it was a good idea that Government had allowed long distance buses to arrive at their destinations if they were within 50 km to the next station.
This was after the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) in a joint statement with the Zambia Police Service announced that buses could continue with their journey beyond 21:00 hours if they were within 50 km to their destination.
Private and Public Drivers Association of Zambia president Josiah Majuru said the law had a provision for not exceeding 21:00 hours, but that within the radius of 50 km.
“We have read the SI and it clearly states that within 50km, you can still reach as long as one was within the radius allowed to the next city.
“Our drivers can now reach Lusaka safely as long as they are within the approved distance from the Main Post Office, and the next city or town, in accordance with the regulation,” he said.
Many operators have described the move as progressive because both the travelers and the drivers would arrive and park their vehicles at secure locations.
They said sometimes drivers had been forced to drive beyond speed limits to avoid sleeping at awkward locations while others have driven with one eye on the watch to beat the 21:00 hours deadline.
“At least with this time allowance, we have almost one hour to reach without so much bother as to the 21:00 hours deadline which has been an issue when reaching late and many of us would over-speed just to beat that time.
“We are grateful that this is not only good for the drivers, but also for the members of the public who were forced to spend nights in the middle of nowhere with little or no security but now we are assured of the bus stopping at official stations or even their final destinations,” one driver said.
Mr Majuru said transporters must learn to read through the SI to ensure they understood the regulations surrounding their operations to avoid breaking the law.
He said it was important to adhere to the rules, but also important to understand the regulation to help them meet the requirements in operation hours and deadlines accordingly.
The SI that restricts movement of public service vehicles and vehicles in transit between 21:00 hours and 05:00 hours has been revised to allow such vehicle arrive at their destinations if within 50 km radius from the next town or city.
RTSA and the Zambia Police explained that the regulation which only applied to long distance operators allowed an allowance of up to 50 km radius from the main post office or the local authority to continue their journey and arrive within that distance.
