Parliament to pass law against blocking presidential motorcade or convoy

By DICKSON JERE

PARLIAMENT is this week expected to pass a law that will criminalise the blocking of the presidential motorcade but the offender will only get a   maximum of six months in jail unlike treason that was slapped on President Hakainde Hichilema in 2017.

The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill of 2022 has introduced a new provision – the “right of way of Presidential motorcade” – which will also include the motorcade of the Vice President.

“A person driving a motor vehicle on a public road shall give an immediate and absolute right of way to a presidential motorcade,” read part of the amendment.

The law was silent on the blocking of Presidential motorcade hence the insertion of the new provision to deal with the offence.

The first offender will get a fine or three months imprisonment and second offender will get a fine or six months jail term for blocking the motorcade.

This amendment appear to have been triggered by the Mongu incident in which President Hichilema was slapped with treason for not giving way to the presidential motorcade.

The new law will also prohibit driving a tricycle, scooter or squad bike on a tarred public road unless these are driven within the radius of 200 meters away from the public road.

Further, the new law will allow certain motor vehicles to stop or park at any place where it may be necessary such as firefighters, an emergency rescue vehicle, Zambia Police or construction vehicles rendering essential public service. But such vehicles should display appropriate identification lamps.

The law will also prohibit the driving in an organised procession, except for funerals, on public roads without a police permit. This certainly will help curb the anarchy by political party cadres and the wedding processions that disturb motorists.

The proposed law also gives motorists various allowable allowances on speed limits on public roads, which is a very progressive law as vehicles do not just change speed automatically when a sign post is seen.