Road carnage

Written by on May 3, 2020

IT is sad that lives continue to be lost in road accidents despite the government putting up measures to reduce road carnage by limiting movements of public passenger vehicles.

Yesterday’s horrific accident in which four people died, is yet another reminder of the dangers associated with road transport.

Regrettably, more lives continue to be lost in road accidents in situations that could be avoided with due care by road users.

Today, we carry a story of a bus accident in which four people died, including the driver of the Power Tools bus. A Police report indicates that the accident happened at a dangerous spot which has previously claimed many lives.  

Apart from eye-witness, only the surviving passengers will be able to provide credible information as to what could have caused the accident. According to reports, the driver also died in the accident. 

Further, both North-Western Province Police Commissioner, Elias Chushi and Manyinga District Commissioner, Queen Manela confirmed the development yesterday, saying the critically injured passengers are admitted to Loloma Mission Hospital in the district.

Mr Chushi said the Power Tools bus registration number ALT 2165 was coming from Zambezi on its way to Solwezi via Manyinga when the driver lost control and rammed into the shores of the Kabompo river at Mundanya bridge around 04:20 hours.

Ms Manela said Government has always advised motorists to be cautious of the curvy Mundanya road which has claimed many lives in the past.

North-Western Province has recorded some of the worst road accidents in the recent past, including the deaths of five church members, among others.

This would indicate that the province may need some sort of introspection among bus operators and their drivers. Some of the questions that may need to be answered may include what sort of hours are drivers subjected to? Do drivers get enough rest? Are vehicles regularly serviced for all transporters?

If all these things are in order, what then is the cause of these accidents?  It is important that these questions are answered because people need to feel safe and comfortable to board a bus as a means of transport to their destinations.

For the families that have lost loved ones, this must be a tough situation especially if there are no answers to give them closure. It is for this reason that we think reports of investigations conducted in such matters should be made public. Let the public and family know the outcome. They should not be buried or delayed so that concerned parties give up

If the driver was in the wrong, as it is being suggested in this case, let the report show that. The man is dead and cannot defend himself. 

We, as a country, should make it a standard to ensure public reports are made public. Lives have been lost and we should never let this loss be forgotten. Someone, somewhere is mourning their husband, son or daughter and deserve a measure of respect.

Police are professional people and surely capable of coming to a conclusion as to the cause of the accident so that appropriate action could be taken.

We also believe that compensation for loss of life should be taken seriously and processed through insurance companies. This will ensure that all transporters in general ensure that affected families of victims are compensated for their losses.


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