Media Contacts:
Mailos Mwale, Communications Advisor, ZRST
0953736461 mailos.mwale@@zambianroadsafety.org
Daniel Mwamba, Chairman, ZRST
0961475610 daniel.mwamba@zambianroadsafety.org
July 13, 2021
LUSAKA – The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST), the nation’s leading NGO for Road Safety, The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), University of York (UK) together with the UN Environment’s (UNEP) Share the Road Programme is undertaking a 24-month project to strengthen the technical capacity in African Low-Income Counties to develop and implement inclusive climate-resilient transport infrastructure.
The project aims to enhance the capacity of transport planners to assess the mobility needs of disadvantaged groups in Zambia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda and to develop climate-resilient transport infrastructure.
The research is testing new ways of working with local people to better understand their journeys, the road safety risks they experience, climate change impact and also their ideas on solutions of how to improve local travel.
The ZRST, under permission from the Lusaka City Council (LCC), is undertaking a case study in Lusaka along the Tokyo Way/Kamwala South Road junction, which will involve an assessment of the experiences of local disadvantaged road user groups.
Their feedback will help us identify the key problems of road safety and climate change in this area which will be communicated to the LCC and other central government agencies responsible for transport planning. And the learning from the project will also be shared across Africa with transport planners and decision-makers through UN Environment.
On-Street Participatory Mapping is a two-week case study from 12th July to 23rd July 2021 along the Lusaka Tokyo way. So far over 40 participants from amongst different age groups have been captured expressing different views.
Pedestrian general views
Most participants are from low-income backgrounds and mostly walk to and fro they, therefore, found the road difficult to cross as it lacked pedestrian crossing points and speed management measures which posed a danger to their lives as most motorists have no regard for them. Community roads either lack proper road infrastructure or the lack of roads thereof and this has caused the inhabitants to live in fear of getting involved in accidents as motorists use the roads. During the rainy season, most areas get flooded making roads impassable for road users.
Cyclists Views
Lack of cycle tracks has also been a challenge to cyclists as they have to use the same road as motorists this has posed serious danger to cyclists as vehicles travel at high speed.
Disabled people’s general views
The disabled found using the road particularly crossing a challenge as robots don’t give enough time to allow them easily cross the road and the pedestrian walkways are not wide enough to accommodate them.
Motorist’s general views
Motorists found the road uneven with potholes making driving dangerous. In most cases, signage is not in place e.g. humps put up but no warning to motorists. Traffic lights at the different junctions are most times not working causing traffic jams.
Wheelbarrow pushers
Wheelbarrow pushers expressed concern as they did not have their own lane making movement particularly hard and appealed to the road authority to widen the road so has to clearly mark lanes for them.
Chairman for the ZRST, Daniel Mwamba said:
“Poorly planned transport systems have negative consequences for everyone; whether they are driving a car, using public transport, walking or cycling. There is a need to ensure transport planning and decision making is not only sustainable and resilient to climate change but hears the voice of all transport users, especially low-income disadvantaged groups.” /End
About Us
The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST), established in 2014, is a leading registered non-government road safety entity registration no: 101/0503/15. The Trust is a member of the Global Alliance of NGOs for road safety, seeks to create awareness on road safety issues in Zambia and contribute to reduce loss of life and injuries on Zambia’s roads. The Trust is an operational NGO, meaning we plan and carry out boots-on-the-ground projects to accomplish our objectives. This requires a great deal of careful planning, communication, and local involvement for each project. Our goal as an organization is to accomplish the following: To priorities safety of the most vulnerable road users, to advocate changes in national law to make roads, vehicles and drivers safer, to support the 50 percent reduction in road traffic death UN decade of Action 2030 target.
This research project has been funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) as part of their High Volume Transport Programme. It is collaboration between the Zambia Road Safety Trust, the University of York (UK), Stockholm Environment Institute (Nairobi), and UN Environment (Nairobi).
