LUSAKA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Thursday called for increased highway patrols in order to curb similar road traffic accidents the country has recorded in recent weeks.
The country has witnessed increased road traffic accidents in the last two weeks in which several people were killed while dozens of others sustained injuries.
Last Sunday, six people died while 26 others sustained injuries in Chingola town on the Copperbelt Province when their vehicle hit into a stationary truck. On Tuesday, six other people died in a road accident in Mpika district north of the country when the vehicle they were traveling in collided head-on with an on-coming truck.
The Zambian leader said he was deeply concerned with the increased fatal accidents and urged motorists to observe traffic rules, including speed limit, according to a release from his office.
He has since urged the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to utilize its equipment to ensure that motorists adhered to traffic rules.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Road Safety, an organization advocating for road safety, said it was encouraged by calls by the Zambian leader to improve road safety following the increased number of accidents.
"While we welcome the support from the president to improve road safety, we want to see more to be done, beyond just words. Currently, little is done to prevent accidents as 100 people are killed every month," Daniel Mwaba, the organization's chairman said.
