Today Friday, 26 December 2025, the Research and Partnerships Manager for the Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST), Thomas Miyoba, spoke on Diamond TV News via a phone interview, where he raised serious concerns about the rising number of road traffic crashes in Zambia.
Mr. Miyoba warned that the continued increase in road traffic accidents poses a serious risk to Zambia’s ability to halve road traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030, undermining national and global commitments under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), and Vision 2030.
He highlighted several critical issues:
🔹 Driver knowledge gaps
Mr. Miyoba indicated that most drivers read the Highway Code only once, usually before obtaining a driving licence, and do not go back to review it. He emphasized the need for refresher courses to reinforce road safety knowledge and responsible driving behaviour.
🔹 Weak enforcement at major bus stations
He further stated that enforcement needed to be strengthened, particularly at major bus stations such as Lima Tower and Millennium. He noted that police officers should inspect buses before departure to ensure they are roadworthy, have paid road tax (Musonko), and comply with safety standards. He stressed that any bus found unfit to be on the road should not be allowed to leave the station or carry passengers.
🔹 Need for periodic and random vehicle inspections
Mr. Miyoba also pointed out the importance of periodic as well as random vehicle inspections as a way of improving compliance and preventing unsafe vehicles from operating on public roads.
🔹 Road user behaviour remains a major concern
In addition, he observed that to reduce the high numbers of crashes recorded around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there was a need to improve road user behaviour across all categories, including drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers.
Mr. Miyoba concluded by stating that road safety is a shared responsibility, and that strengthened enforcement, continuous education, and improved road user behaviour are critical if Zambia is to save lives and meet its 2030 road safety targets.
📺 Diamond TV News interview:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1WGqMTPwMV/
#RoadSafety #ZRST #DiamondTV #DecadeOfAction #8NDP #Vision2030
