ZRST launches road safety education programme aimed at improving child road safety

By Staff Reporter, Lusaka 

The Zambia Road Safety Trust (ZRST) has launched a road safety programme aimed at improving child road safety after receiving K88,900 funding from Puma Energy Zambia Plc. 

The launch of the programme was done in Lusaka at Muchinga Primary School in Zingalume Compound. 

The K88,900 funding from Puma Energy Zambia Plc is meant to support various road safety initiatives aiming at educating all road users. 

Reports indicate that road traffic deaths and injuries represent a serious and rapidly worsening public health crisis in Zambia. 

According to the Zambia Police, the number of road deaths on Zambian roads increased from 1,858 in 2014 to 2,206 in 2016 representing an increase of 18 percent, hence the need to support government efforts to double up the efforts. 

Among these were vulnerable children who face grave risks as they walk to and from school every day. Meanwhile, Ministry of Transport & Communications, Permanent Secretary, Micheck Lungu says Government is committed to ensuring that the message of road safety awareness is ingrained in the younger generation. 

“In our efforts to encourage greater community involvement, the strong support provided by socially responsible corporate partners such as Puma Energy Zambia is invaluable and will contribute to government’s attainment of this objective. We are most appreciative of Puma Energy Zambia Plc for the continued support to sponsor Road Safety programmes such as this one and for their generous contributions,” he says. 

It is anticipated that ZRST’s partnership with Puma Energy will strive to change unsafe behaviour on the roads and to protect school-going children from road traffic injury. 

ZRST will implement vital road safety activities in Zambia including co-ordinating road safety education programmes and conducting government and media advocacy. 

The organisations started with Muchinga Primary School as their first project because of its location in one of the most deprived urban areas in Lusaka and because four pupils have been injured in road traffic in the last year alone. 

Puma Energy Zambia trusts that its involvement in road safety will save lives on the roads as well as demonstrate the company’s commitment to road safety worldwide. 

Puma Energy Zambia Plc Chairman, Mr Jacob Sikazwe said he is pleased to announce that this year, Puma Energy Zambia continue to support the government to reduce road accidents in Zambia.

“Besides today’s’ launch of this Child Road Safety Education Programme at Muchinga Primary School, we are sponsoring a road safety programme which will air on radio for 3 months and mini-bus drivers road safety awareness programme at bus stations in Lusaka,” he said.

And ZRST Chairman, Daniel Mwamba says Road safety is no accident, it happens through the deliberate efforts of many individuals and many sectors of society, governmental and non-governmental alike.

“Every one of us has a role to play. Ministers of Transport, Health and Education; Teachers; Students; Insurers; the media and victims of road traffic crashes and their families. But a strong commitment at the political level is crucial. Today’s success stories often result from a decision at the highest level of government to improve safety on the road,” he said.