Lusaka, 3rd October 2022: ZRST has been supporting cycling as a mode of sustainable transportation since 2014. While many people want to bike, bicycles are out of the price range of many people and many Zambians from low-income families need a bit of a push to buy them. Unfortunately cycling on our roads is also not safe, mostly because of the lack of cycling infrastructure.
The government has reduced customs duty to 15 per cent
In the 2023 national budget announced on Friday by the Minister of Finance, the government reduced customs duty to 15 per cent from 25 per cent on bicycles. ZRST hopes that the Government will go even further to reduce the duty to ZERO while actively supporting the installation of safer infrastructure for cyclists to address carbon emissions and also getting more people active.

Transport in Zambia has a significant carbon footprint and congestion is a regular experience for many. Zambia has more people who walk and cycle compared to motorists. To reduce emissions and improve the efficiency of our transport system, we need to think innovatively about alternative ways to get around. Therefore, the uptake of bicycles is one example of how our urban mobility should change, but they are relatively expensive.

Chairman for Zambia Road Safety Trust Daniel Mwamba said:
“It is good news for the economy, and it is certainly good news for people’s health and wellbeing. We strongly support the budget’s tax incentive on bicycles. Cycling is a source of recreation. It’s a source of transport. It is low emissions and has an impact on health and economic activity.
We further urge the government to also invest in safe cycling infrastructure, recognizing that it has a real multiplier effect on the economy but more importantly, the more people on a bike the more who are purchasing a bike, and the more people who are selling a bike, the more people who are fixing a bike, the more people who are servicing bike-related tourism activities. /End