Zambia Road Safety MoU to launch September 8

‘It has been a long road, but we will now have in place a robust and comprehensive plan with firm multi-sectoral commitment to take action to address the road safety situation in Zambia’ stated GRSP Zambia Coordinator, Aaron Samiyengo following the announcement of the date for the long awaited launch of the Zambia Road Safety MoU.

The Zambia Road Safety MoU has been developed in alignment with a set of six resolutions drawn up in 2013 by a select group of key stakeholders including the lead agency, the Road Traffic Safety Authority (RTSA), the Sub Saharan Africa Transport Policy programme, the GRSP, the Roads Development Agency, the Zambia Red Cross, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Education, Zambia Police and others from the civil and private sector, including senior representation from Total. The MoU sets to improve coordination among actors and to promote innovation and the introduction of high impact interventions, bold decisions and actions to proficiently address all aspects of road safety. It is designed to clearly spell out what key stakeholders would do differently over an agreed period, and how the initiatives would be coordinated and funded. The MoU is managed by the RTSA, and the implementation of the specific actions will rest with the individual stakeholders who are each required to provide reports at a national forum.

GRSP has been instrumental in securing the individual departmental and organizational commitments of the nine final signatories to the Memorandum:

• RTSA
• RDA
• Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Lusaka City Council
• Ministry of Transport Works Supply and Communications
• Zambia Police
• Ministry of Health
• Zambia Red Cross
• Ministry of Education
• Insurance Industry Representative Organization

Following the September 8 launch, GRSP will work closely with the Zambia Red Cross on road safety educative campaigns and with a number of ministries and agencies in various aspects of implementation.