GPS ON LONG DISTANCE PUBLIC SERVICE BUSES: RTSA records reduction in fatalities after installing the system on over 500 buses

ACCORDING to the Road Transport and Safety (RTSA), most road traffic accidents are as a result of human error, and this includes excessive speed.

In order to curb excessive speed, especially among long distance public service vehicles, such as buses, the RTSA, two years ago embarked on a vigorous exercise to install Global Positioning System (GPS) on over 500 distance buses.

The idea was to reduce on the number of fatalities involving such bulk carrying passenger vehicles.

“You see, the thing is that these buses carry a lot people and we used to lose a lot of lives when such a vehicles is involved in a road accident that is mostly as a result of excessive speed,” says the RTSA head of public relations, Fredrick Mubanga.

Indeed, fatal road crashes involving long distance buses claim many lives.

Mr Mubanga, without giving figures, justifies that ever since the agency started the exercise, it has led to a drastic reduction in the number of road accidents, involving such buses.

“You see, how the GPS works is that we have interfaced and interlinked it and it is able to detect the speed at which the bus is moving and if it is above a particular speed limit, we will get a notification through the our customer care call centre where we then take it up and notify the operator and caution the driver to drive at an appropriate speed,” he says.

The GPS is a navigation system using satellites, a receiver and algorithms to synchronise location, velocity and time data for air, sea and land travel. The satellite system consists of a constellation of 24 satellites in six earth-centered orbital planes, each with four satellites, orbiting at 13,000 miles (20,000 kilometres) above earth and traveling at a speed of 8,700 mph (14,000 km/h).

Mr Mubanga says, with this particular technology, Zambia through the agency is on course to attaining the United Nations Decade of Action that seeks to reduce the number of road traffic accidents by 50 percent by the year 2030.

“We can safely say that we have found a proper formula to manage speed-related road traffic accidents. So far so good, and even the behaviour of the drivers is well managed and the drivers themselves are also complying and appreciating the system,” he says.

He says: “We are trying to get a multifaceted approach where everyone should be engaged in matters of road safety.” Mr Mubanga is also happy that the system has been received well, even by the bus operators.

He says the system has so far proven to be an effective way to manage speed-related road traffic accidents.

“…we are trying to leverage on the use of ICT to mitigate road traffic accidents considering the fact that most of these road traffic accidents are speed related. So if we manage the aspect of speed, especially for mass carriage buses that carry over 70 people, then we are moving towards the right trajectory of reducing road traffic related accidents in our country. Mind you, we are signatory to the United Nations Decade of Action which aspires to reduce road traffic accidents by 50 percent.”

Gershom Chembo is a Chibeka Bus Services bus driver. His route is mostly Lusaka to Kasama and back and forth.

He too appreciates the fact that his bus is installed with the GPS.

“This is a very good technology, and as drivers, we have welcomed it because it is for the benefit of all of us,” he says. “If you look at our track record as Chibeka, we have a safety record that is as good as hundred percent.”

Another bus driver, Chibwe Chalwe of P Ngosa Bus Services appreciates the technology.

Mr Chibwe who goes as far as Samfya, says the system is so smart that it can detect that one has exceeded the speed limit on a particular stretch.

“That is how clever this system is,” he says. “So, for me, I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, I can even recommend that it is extended to all other vehicles.”

The RTSA is also encouraging the traveling public to ensure their own safety while traveling on buses and report any driver that is not driving appropriately.

“At the end of the day, it is your life. So, if you want to leave the driver to drive as careless as he can, you will have yourselves to blame in case of anything,” Mr Mubanga told travelers at Serenje Bus Station.

He said: “In an instance where a driver is not complying, we are calling on the travelling public to report such drivers to us through our customer care call centre using the 983 toll free line.”

A team of RTSA officers led by Mr Mubanga and information officer Roy Habaalu led some journalists on a road profiling visit of the Great North Road from Lusaka to Mpika to document and understand traffic-related challenges on the road.

“The idea is to tell the story as it is for the benefit of the motorists,” said Mr Habaalu.

Note that this article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper.