Maravi

Govt's reversal of new road user fees deceitful - Sata

Govt's reversal of new road user fees deceitful - Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Friday February 29, 2008 [16:00]

GOVERNMENT’S directive for the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to withdraw the administrative memorandum on the proposed increment of new road user charges is temporary and deceitful, Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has charged. And minibus drivers today picketed Parliament to declare the user fees null and void in the interest of good governance and peace in society.

Commenting on Transport and Communications minister Dora Siliya’s directive to RTSA management to withdraw the administrative memorandum and wait for consultations with her ministry, which would issue the applicable statutory instruments, Sata said there was no need to make any consultations.

He said it was fruitless for government to consult because what the Zambian people have demanded was that there should be no alteration to the existing user charges.


“She has done a temporary good gesture with lots of hidden deceit in that thing,” he said.

Sata charged that government had an input in the new user charges because if it were not so, RTSA could not have gathered the courage to announce them.

He said former transport ministers Peter Daka and Sarah Sayifwanda should explain to Zambians their input in the “corrupt” user charges.

“The minister (Siliya) acted on impulse because she knew by Monday, there would have been no transport because Zambia could have been on a standstill. Probably, people could have used ministers’ vehicles or in far flang areas, the President’s jet,” Sata said.

He said government agencies such as RTSA, Energy Regulation Board (ERB), and Food Reserve Agency (FRA) should be scrapped off because they have proved inefficient.

Sata said in the case of RTSA, government should instead empower the Zambia Police service to carry out traffic related matters.

On Friday, Siliya said the public should ignore the fees which were supposed to be effected today and instead wait for an announcement from the ministry.

RTSA had resolved, among other things, that people wishing to have personalised registration numbers for their cars would pay K10 million per mark from the current K1 million.

And motorists yesterday said they would reject any alteration to the user charges. The drivers picketed parliamentarians as they made way into Parliament grounds.

In a letter addressed to Siliya, which was also distributed to all members of parliament, the Zambia Association of Motorists stated that as far as they were concerned, RTSA had no legal powers to prescribe or revise user fees because fees could only be revised by an Act of Parliament or a statutory instrument.

“Standing procedures require consultations with our body and other interested persons before new road user fees are introduced,” read the letter in part.

The motorits stated that it was in this vain that they were asking Parliament to declare the new fees null and void.

Some parliamentarians, especially those from the opposition, took the letter as they made their way into Parliament.
However, some ministers just drove in and did not get the letters.

The motorists’ peaceful protest was short-lived when police from Chilanga were brought in to monitor the situation.

The motorists who seemed intimidated at the arrival of the police quickly rushed into their buses and left.

Labels: ROADS, RTSA

posted by MrK @ 8:04 PM