People implore RoadTraffic Directorate to vet bus driver’s licenses before employment
November 3, 2019
Duncan Mlanjira - Nyasa Times 15 Comments
Following continued occurrences of accidents on the roads of Malawi involving big buses, some members of the general public are asking if the Road Traffic Directorate should be advising bus companies to be liaising with the Directorate whenever they are employing new bus drivers.
MPC coach in road fatality
This follows the accident that happened in the early hours of Saturday morning around Nkhamenya in Kasungu District involving one of the newly-acquired Malawi Post Corporation (MPC) coaches, which has claimed the life Hosea Mologera — an Immigration Officer from Mzuzu.
A statement from MPC’s Board and Management says Mologera died on the spot while three others sustained serious injuries with 14 others sustaining minor injuries.
“Details are that, Post Bus registration number BW7919 traveling from Blantyre to Mzuzu which had 26 passengers and two crew members on board overturned at Nkhamenya.
“The Board, Management and Staff of MPC sincerely consoles the family and is currently doing everything possible to ensure that all the affected passengers have been assisted.
“MPC will keep the public updated as the Malawi Police Service is currently undertaking further investigations on the accident,” says the statement.
MPC acquired seven coaches, bought at K700 million through a loan from the FDH Bank and were launched on October 4 by Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology, Mark Botomani at a colorful ceremony in Lilongwe.
The advise on social media is that before they are employed, the Directorate should be vetting the drivers licences because it is suspected most of them have truck driving license EC not bus driving D.
“Please, don’t allow this, otherwise accidents will continue in our roads. Get experienced drivers.
“Most of these accident are occurring because some are only lorry drivers, coupled with poor roads we have,” commented Nkoloma Charles on Facebook.
To which Tumeyo Banda replied that it’s a mystery as to what happened because double diff buses are very stable and not likely to lose balance as did with the MPC coach that fell on its side.
Another said this usually happens when the driver is distracted when in top speed.
“These buses are supposed to be installed with GPS system by the Traffic Directorate to monitor their speed. They should not drive at a speed of more than 100km/hr.
“Any driver who does that should have his license suspended. This is what is being applied in Zambia,” said Chipeta Chipeta.
Chimbe Kaduya concurs, saying; “Way back one manager at British Petroleum said ‘every road accident is man made’, and this is true.
“An experienced and skilled driver will never wreck his car unless a careless driver bashes him. An experienced driver thinks of the following: the type of car he is driving; the speed in use; road condition and time of the day.”
He adds that such an experienced and skilled driver also considers other road users, his passengers lives and that of his own that can affect his family and relatives as well as the car or its owner.
“If you don’t think of these when driving, you are a poor driver. Poor roads (potholes) and reckless driving are some of the main causes of accident here in Malawi.
Kaduya asks the government to seriously allocate more money to the Ministry of Transport and Public Works for extensive road rehabilitation currently being carried out across the country.
Trassizio Makwanda added his voice by saying the condition of a driver could be a chief cause of accidents on the roads.
“From my basic knowledge on the causes of accidents include over speeding, ignorance of road rules and regulations, failing to adhere and follow road rules and regulations, intoxication and condition of a driver,” he said.
While Peter Moliyati Manda said there is a influx of modern and very fast car on the Malawian roads, which does not match conditions of the roads.
can we have a number to call when we see silly behaviour on the roads pls. and motorists try to drive fast not to b overtaken olo competing side by side speeding just to show they know how to drive. pls
Concerned Citizen
4 years ago
We are forgetting the chief culprit in Road Traffic Accidents(RTAs), the mobile phone! This is the single most important distraction on the road. In the UK if you are found using a phone and driving, it leads it an automatic withdrawal of your licence and you are banned for a certain number of years before being allowed to retake the driving test. In fact the police rated texting while driving to be more dangerous than drink driving. This is not to say drink driving is excusable, just to say the former is quite dangerous indeed. In Malawi, all drivers use… Read more »
Mtete
4 years ago
Agreed entirely but this should be extended to minibus drivers or, indeed, any public service vehicle. The MPC bus accident is very sad. I can imagine staff trying, in excitement, to turn the corporation’s fortunes only to end up with this incident. Sad, isn’t it?
Bararabarara
4 years ago
You want Road Traffic Department to vet the recruitment of Drivers? Which Road Traffic Department? The same corrupt organisation. Look, in Lilongwe. CHIGONEKA openly demands and receives bribes, a minimum of K10,000 per vehicle. He still has too many DOBADOBAS on his payroll.
FATCH, KUMWENDA, MUMBA, BISIKA and THINDWA openly demand and receive bribes. Noone cares. Ndiye Mukuti Chani? Chimenecho ndiye chibwana!
YOU CANNOT TRUST THESE CORRUPT DOGS WITH ANY RESPONSIBILITIES
And these Dobadobas are regarded as more important than junior officers by the bosses to the extent that a Dobadoba can demand a junior officer’s transfer
Who trusts guys at Road Traffic? Will their involvement reduce buses’ road accidents in Malawi’s roads? I don’t think so myself. There are worst corrupt practices at Road Traffic ndipo anthu ake alibe manyazi ngakhale pang’ono. People pay double to get assisted at the facility. Failure to pay the bribe, ukhala pa queeu mpaka ma office kutseka madzulo. People are forced to pay bribes using their small dogs duped “doba-dobas”.
Bvuto lake ku Ministry of Transport kuli anthu atulo. They allow corrupt Road Traffic Officers to get away with impunity. The thievery at the Road Traffic Directorate, Regional Office is just too much.
Macnab
4 years ago
When you are on a bus and you see that the driver is being reckless you as passengers have the right to intervene because its your life at risk.
1. If there is a phone number on the bus call and report bad driving
2. At a road block all concerned passengers approach a road traffic officer and lodge a compliant
Instead of just sitting quiet and praying that you arrive
From the comments, it seems people know that Ngozi it’s preventable:
Speed.
Driving schools which help learner drivers to pass exams but not to drive safely
Drink driving
Lack of knowledge
Lack road of road respect
Ignorance about road rules (most people drive but they don’t know the Highway Code)
Traffic police men and women who don’t know their work apart from milking people on the road
Poor roads without roads signs.
Weak government.
In Europe roads accidents are caused by fools while in Malawi it’s caused by the clever!!!!
Docus
4 years ago
We know the M1 is bad , but arround Nkamenya it is a better stretch compare Lilongwe – Kasungu!
Why can’t we read about the drivers qualification and experience? In the end he might turn out as another Cadet in a MPC driver uniform?
Dengu
4 years ago
We never hear the outcome of investigations into what happened and the factors that gave rise to the tragic incident.
Deepest condolences to the bereaved family and praying for quick healing of the injured. Indeed, it would be important that findings of the investigation on the causes of the accident are available to the public, who are the shareholder of the company.
can we have a number to call when we see silly behaviour on the roads pls. and motorists try to drive fast not to b overtaken olo competing side by side speeding just to show they know how to drive. pls
We are forgetting the chief culprit in Road Traffic Accidents(RTAs), the mobile phone! This is the single most important distraction on the road. In the UK if you are found using a phone and driving, it leads it an automatic withdrawal of your licence and you are banned for a certain number of years before being allowed to retake the driving test. In fact the police rated texting while driving to be more dangerous than drink driving. This is not to say drink driving is excusable, just to say the former is quite dangerous indeed. In Malawi, all drivers use… Read more »
Agreed entirely but this should be extended to minibus drivers or, indeed, any public service vehicle. The MPC bus accident is very sad. I can imagine staff trying, in excitement, to turn the corporation’s fortunes only to end up with this incident. Sad, isn’t it?
You want Road Traffic Department to vet the recruitment of Drivers? Which Road Traffic Department? The same corrupt organisation. Look, in Lilongwe. CHIGONEKA openly demands and receives bribes, a minimum of K10,000 per vehicle. He still has too many DOBADOBAS on his payroll.
FATCH, KUMWENDA, MUMBA, BISIKA and THINDWA openly demand and receive bribes. Noone cares. Ndiye Mukuti Chani? Chimenecho ndiye chibwana!
YOU CANNOT TRUST THESE CORRUPT DOGS WITH ANY RESPONSIBILITIES
And these Dobadobas are regarded as more important than junior officers by the bosses to the extent that a Dobadoba can demand a junior officer’s transfer
Who trusts guys at Road Traffic? Will their involvement reduce buses’ road accidents in Malawi’s roads? I don’t think so myself. There are worst corrupt practices at Road Traffic ndipo anthu ake alibe manyazi ngakhale pang’ono. People pay double to get assisted at the facility. Failure to pay the bribe, ukhala pa queeu mpaka ma office kutseka madzulo. People are forced to pay bribes using their small dogs duped “doba-dobas”.
Bvuto lake ku Ministry of Transport kuli anthu atulo. They allow corrupt Road Traffic Officers to get away with impunity. The thievery at the Road Traffic Directorate, Regional Office is just too much.
When you are on a bus and you see that the driver is being reckless you as passengers have the right to intervene because its your life at risk.
1. If there is a phone number on the bus call and report bad driving
2. At a road block all concerned passengers approach a road traffic officer and lodge a compliant
Instead of just sitting quiet and praying that you arrive
From the comments, it seems people know that Ngozi it’s preventable:
Speed.
Driving schools which help learner drivers to pass exams but not to drive safely
Drink driving
Lack of knowledge
Lack road of road respect
Ignorance about road rules (most people drive but they don’t know the Highway Code)
Traffic police men and women who don’t know their work apart from milking people on the road
Poor roads without roads signs.
Weak government.
In Europe roads accidents are caused by fools while in Malawi it’s caused by the clever!!!!
We know the M1 is bad , but arround Nkamenya it is a better stretch compare Lilongwe – Kasungu!
Why can’t we read about the drivers qualification and experience? In the end he might turn out as another Cadet in a MPC driver uniform?
We never hear the outcome of investigations into what happened and the factors that gave rise to the tragic incident.
Deepest condolences to the bereaved family and praying for quick healing of the injured. Indeed, it would be important that findings of the investigation on the causes of the accident are available to the public, who are the shareholder of the company.
mwaonanji lelo? dziko lopanda malamulo ili. aliyese akungopanga ukanga ndiwamba.dziko lokomera olemera okhaokha
7 buses. 1 out. 6 to go. Six months? Too long!