Zambia concludes consultation process on SI

ZAMBIA has concluded the consultative process for the proposed Statutory Instrument (SI) on the
ban of Transport of heavy Cargo on the road network, which is expected to take effect by August this year.

And Government has urged railway operators on the North-South Corridor to strategically position themselves for more business opportunities that will emerge as a consequence of implementing the SI.
Ministry of Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba said the SI is expected to address the imbalance between rail and road transport market share by ensuring that bulk cargo (beyond a certain tonnage) is transported by rail.
Mr Mushimba was speaking when he officiated at the First 2017 Southern Africa Railway Association (SARA) board meeting in Lusaka yesterday.
“This the implementation of the SI, the country will benefit by allowing the railways to play its role in the economy as a bulk transporter of cargo and therefore contribute to prolonging the life of our roads, reduced air pollution and reduce road carnage levels,” Mr Mushimba said.
To achieve this, Government sought feedback from various stakeholders over the introduction of the SI, with the first meeting having been held on January 11, 2017.
Three more meetings were later held with the Truckers Association of Zambia (TAZ), Zambia Chamber of Mines (ZCM) and Zambia Association of Chamber and Industry (ZACCI).
The meetings provided Government with significant and valuable feedback through submissions received. The submission received has helped us in refining the proposed SI and its implementation methodology.
Mr Mushimba said he was encouraged to note that SARA achieved a 60 per cent increase in business on the North-South Corridor this year compared to last year.
He said this was a clear indication that the collaborative efforts of SARA members are bearing fruit.
With other strategic and policy initiatives being put in place, Mr Mushimba was confident the figure would increase to about 80 or 90 per cent.
The Minister said Government was determined to transform the railway sector into an efficient, safe and viable transport mode.
“In this regard, plans are underway to introduce policies that will separate the development and maintenance of railway infrastructure from railway operations,” he said.
And Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) managing director Christopher Musonda has been elected SARA president taking over from Nkululeko Poya.
Taking on his new responsibility, Mr Musonda urged SARA members to continue working together in growing the rail share which has declined to 9 per cent to 15 per cent in the region.
“There is demand to develop the adequate capacity to meet the market demand and also improve on operational efficiency for regional railways to compete favourably on the market.