Increase budget for sensitisation of motorists, PeP tells Rtsa
By Staff Reporter
Opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) has expressed suddenness by the recent loss of young lives to road traffic accidents in the country, particularly in Lusaka.
In a statement on Friday morning PeP president Sean Tembo appealed to the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) to increase their budgetary allocation for public sensitization, especially young motorists without experience.
Tembo believed that RTSA was not allocating enough funds towards public awareness activities such as the importance of wearing seatbelts at all times.
“It must be noted that road safety public awareness campaigns must not be seen as a once off event, but rather as an on-going process. Considering the huge sums of money that RTSA collects from the public, through fees and levies for various services, it is only fair that a significant portion of these funds be reinvested back into society by way of road safety public awareness campaigns, rather than spending everything on the salaries and wages of RTSA officers,” said Tembo.
He said this intervention was necessary as more people, especially young ones were starting to drive.
“The primary job of RTSA in this regard, must be to sensitize our young people about, not only the joys of being behind the steering wheel, but also the responsibilities that come with that joy, both to oneself and to other road users,” he said
“As Patriots for Economic Progress, we would like to take this opportunity to challenge RTSA to announce to the nation, the percentage of their annual budget that is reinvested to society through road safety public awareness campaigns,”
