State acts to promote safety on roads

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:57:51 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO and LINDA SOKO TEMBO

GOVERNMENT has launched the US$500 million development, installation and management of the Road Safety Management System under a public private partnership, with Intelligent Mobility System.

The Road Safety Management System is completely self-sustainable and will not require funding from the government.

The project does not involve any disposal of state assets and will be implemented on a “Build Operate and Transfer” basis.

At the end of the concession term of 17 years, all the assets under the project will be under the state.

Officiating at the launch, Minister of Transport and Communication, Brian Mushimba said that the project would create over 1, 500 direct jobs and over 4, 500 indirect jobs for the local people, especially the youth.

Mr Mushimba said that the project would also broaden the presence of the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) with the establishment of over 30 additional outlets with mechanised motor vehicle inspection equipment.   He said the 17-year concession contract would involve the enhancement of road traffic enforcement which were a prerequisite in promoting road safety and changing the bad road behaviour for all road users.

“This PPP arrangement will provide safety management solutions and services encompassing CCTV cameras, vehicle inspection centres, border tolling facilities, high speed weigh-in-motion equipment to reduce overloading and road safety enforcement equipment,” said Mr Mushimba.

The minister said the improvements would result in a reduction in road crashes and fatalities, safe vehicles on roads and overall efficient service delivery to the public using modern technology.

Meanwhile, Kapsch Group chief executive officer, George Kapsch said that transport was the backbone of any economy and that a viable traffic system was inevitable.

RTSA chief executive officer Zindaba Soko said that the Road Safety Management system followed an integral road safety strategy with six main thrusts.

Mr Soko outlined that the system would include vehicle registration and secure number plate, vehicle testing, overload control and weigh-in-motion to prevent damage to roads, and cross border traffic management.