Tue, 13 Jun 2017 09:32:02 +0000
By Simon Muntemba
Mazhandu Family Bus Services has applied for a conditional reinstatement of a license from the Road Safety and Safety Agency (RATSA) while waiting to fulfill the conditions for full reinstatement.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, company general manager Japhen Mazhandu said the bus service had applied for a Conditional reinstatement of a license as it was still working on implementing the Workplace Road Safety Policy of 2017.
This means that if the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RATSA) approves the application, the bus company would be allowed to start operating with an extension of time frame for the transportation company to fulfil all the conditions.
Mr Mazhandu said his company applied to RATSA for a conditional reinstatement so that the company could be allowed to start operating as they were working around the clock to ensure they meet all the set conditions.
He said his company was committed to meet the set conditions but has appealed to RATSA to consider giving them more time.
“We applied for a Conditional reinstatement of a license, which means that when allowed, we will start operating as while working on fulfilling the remaining condition.
“We took our drivers and buses for re-testing way back before 31 May, 2017 but unfortunately RATSA withheld the results until the last day and when we went to ask for our license, that’s when they told us that some buses and drivers failed the tests.
“But if they (RATSA) told us earlier than May 31, 2017, we would have worked on the buses that failed the test and probably took drivers back for re-testing.
“Of course we are still working on implementing the Workplace Road Safety Policy of 2017,” Mr Mazhandu said.
Mr Mazhandu further said contrary to what was earlier reported by RATSA that out of 36 drivers that were taken for re-testing 19 passed, he said the company took 34 drivers and 30 passed the test.
He added that his company took 15 buses and only one failed.
“It’s not true that we took 36 drivers and 19 passed, and it’s not also correct that 14 buses out of 20 passed.
“The records that we have is that out of 34 drivers, only 4 failed. 30 passed the test and out of 15 buses that we took to RATSA for testing, 14 passed with only 1 failed,” Mr Mazhandu said.
Meanwhile, RATSA public relations officer Fredrick Mubanga who was reluctant to comment on the matter told the Daily Nation yesterday that the agency would inform the public about its decision on the matter soon.
Mr Mubanga stated that what RATSA wanted was for Mazhandu to do the right thing.
“What is important for now is for Mazhandu to do the right thing, and we are not politicians to start talking too much about those thing, because it seems we have different records with what they have,” he said.
He pointed out that what the bus service needed to do was to implement a policy that involves driver management, vehicle management, journey management and health as well as safety at the work place.
