RDA summoned over Ndola-Kitwe road works

Wed, 31 May 2017 11:35:22 +0000

NDOLA district governor (DC) George Chisulo has summoned the Road Development Agency (RDA) to furnish him with a report on the on-going construction of the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriage way.

This follows numerous complaints from motorists regarding the contractor – China Jiangxi – who has continued to re-do the works.

Provincial minister Bowman Lusambo has directed district commissioners of Ndola and Kitwe to engage the contractor and find out what was going on.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. Chisulo said he has received part of the report on the contract entered between the contractor and RDA.

“Yes, soon my colleague the DC for Kitwe and I will be meeting the contractor working on the dual carriage way. We cannot rush to meet the contractor based on the complaints of the motorists but get insight of the content in the contract.

‘‘The complaints are overwhelming because for a long period of time that the contractor has been on site, he has continued to re-do the road he previously worked on,” he said.

Motorists using the dual carriage way have complained that in the last two years the contractor has been re-doing the same works on the road and blocking part of the road.

The motorists complained that they have on countless times been inconvenienced because they have been subjected to use one way, whenever works where in progress.

Mike Kayemba, a bus driver, claimed to have witnessed several accidents on the road in the period the contractor has been on site re-doing the works. Mr. Kayemba said it was anticipated that works will be completed in specified period but the contractor does not seem to finish.

“I feel Government officials in the province are not taking keen interest to monitor the contractor working g on the dual carriage way.

‘‘When the first construction phase was completed, we complained of bumps on the new road. After a report was published in the media the contractor removed part of the layer. The contractor has continued to re-do the works on the same patch of the road.

‘‘For how long will we continue to be subjected to such kind of works?” Mr Kanyemba asked.

Another motorist, Sharon Mulenga, complained that users of the carriage way have been subjected to traffic jams whenever a road accident occurred. Ms. Mulenga said from the time the works began motorists have been subjected to the use of one way.