REVAMP railway infrastructure to unlock the country’s transport sectors and boost the economy, economist Emmanuel Phiri has advised Government.
Mr Phiri said the country’s railway transport subsector is in dire need of proper investment to ensure raw materials are cheaply and timely transported to manufacturing factories.
He said the road transport system is overwhelmed with heavy traffic because the railway system which is supposed to supplement it, is not being utilised to its full capacity due to the bad state of infrastructure and lack of investment in acquisition of modern locomotives.
He said businesses are shunning the railway system to transport their goods because of the longer time it takes to move goods as opposed to road transport which is fast and reliable.
Mr Phiri said the US$825 million contract with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation for modification engineering, rehabilitation and upgrade of railway lines should be quickly reinstated so as to modernise the railway system which is dilapidated.
He said the country is anticipating heightened economic activities following the ascendancy of President Hakainde Hichilema to the presidency, and therefore improvement of the transport sector will be cardinal and cannot be over emphasised.
Mr Phiri said the 420 KM railline from Livingstone to Kafue Bridge, the 64.34km branch line from Masuku to Choma and branch line from Livingstone to Mulobezi which is 162.95km long, require immediate rehabilitation in order to boost the railway transport system.
Recently, Government through Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali announced that it will soon invest in railway transport aimed at making the subsector competitive and efficient.
