GOVERNMENT says it is tired of seeing Zambians dying on the roads every day and has now put in place a number of measures to reduce accidents and save lives.
Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali said the country cannot continue losing people especially young motorcycle riders to crashes that can be prevented.
Speaking during the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims yesterday, Tayali said government has already started working on safer roads, stronger traffic enforcement and improved support for survivors.
He said road safety is not something the government will just talk about but real action is already happening.
“Road traffic accidents remain one of the leading causes of death and injury in Zambia,” Tayali said.
“Yet behind every statistic lies a story of a breadwinner, a student, a mother, a father, a friend whose life was cut short. In recent times, many of these tragedies involve increasingly motorcyclists.”
He said one of the biggest projects is the Lusaka–Ndola Dual Carriageway, which is being built to reduce head-on collisions that have killed many people.
The Minister revealed that the era of drivers bribing their way out of trouble is ending, because technology will expose those who break the law as the Ministry rolls out AI cameras and average-speed cameras to catch over-speeding drivers.
To protect motorbike riders, government has made it compulsory for riders to undergo proper training, get a valid licence before riding and always wear helmets and reflective jackets.
And Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Chief Executive Officer Amon Mweemba disclosed that 2024 alone recorded 35,731 accidents, claiming 2,199 lives, among them 201 children, a trend he described as deeply worrying.
By the third quarter of 2025, Zambia had already lost 1,830 people in accidents, including 187 children.
“Road traffic accidents don’t choose; they can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere,” Mweemba said.
Mweemba further explained that the country was making slow but steady progress under the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, to reduce road deaths by 50 percent by 2030.
By George Musonda
Kalemba November 17, 2025
