Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo has observed that the increase in the motor vehicle population in urban areas particularly Public Service Vehicles has posed a challenge for the need to create new bus stations within the Central Business District (CBD).
Speaking when he conducted spot checks at Kulima Tower Bus Station and Freedom Way in Lusaka to check on compliance by bus operators, Mr Nkombo who was accompanied by officials from the Lusaka City Council, Road Transport And Safety Agency And Zambia Police, says the need to create new bus stations in Lusaka’s CBD is to accommodate bus operators who are currently contravening traffic regulations by loading from undesignated bus stations thereby causing unnecessary traffic.
During the spot check by the minister, Freedom Way which some bus operators have designated as a bus station was clear of buses which usually load along the road.
And some bus operators talked to said Kulima Tower and City Market Bus Stations are not enough to accommodate all buses.
They further states that loading from the roadside accords those who do not have the full bus fare to board the bus and get to their destination.
Meanwhile Mr Nkombo has expressed concern over the people trading from the islands of Freedom Way and the amount of uncollected garbage dumped on the islands.
He has since directed that those trading on the islands must be moved to designated trading places.
But some vendors disclosed that the council levies k5 per day and provided receipts to the minister as proof, but the council denied taxing the vendors.