The Zambian Roads and Highway Safety Group
Introduction
The Zambian Roads and Highway Safety Group (ZRHSG) is a registered not-for-profit road safety and road health awareness organisation that has been operating in Zambia since June, 2018 and has an active membership of over 8,700 members drawn from both public service drivers and other motorists.
This Highway Safety Group is also a platform for sharing experiences and knowledge on road safety issues including defensive driving on Zambian roads and Highways by both professional drivers and motorists on the roads.
These discussions help identify road safety issues, bad policies and bad road designs requiring improvement by government and its transport and road safety agencies such as RTSA, RDA, NRFA, ZP and local councils.
Vision
Its vision is a Zambia without road traffic accidents caused by ignorance of road safety regulations and bad road health behaviours among road users
Mission
Values
- Honesty – To be honest with members, partners and stakeholders
- Team Work – To work as a team in pursuit of our goals
- Transparency – To be transparent in our dealing with members, partners and stakeholders
- Accountability – To be accountable in all we do with members, partners and stakeholders
- Applied research – To investigate and adopt sound advice from research and to engage in evidence based advocacy
The objectives of the ZRHSG are:
- To create awareness on road safety issues among road users
- To lobby and advocate (Government, Stakeholders) for improved roads and road safety
- To influence health seeking behaviour change among public transport drivers and motorists, especially minibus and truck drivers on matters of health (HIV and other infectious diseases)
- To provide a platform for informed debates and increased discussions on roads, roads safety and roads policies among road users
Membership to the group is open to drivers and all road users including children, pedestrians, passengers, motorists.
Currently the Group has 8,700 active online members.
Stakeholders
The following are the stakeholders:
- Government
- Road Safety Agencies (RTSA, RDA, NRFA, ZP)
- Donor agencies
- Road Construction Companies
- Public Transport firms
- Schools
- Media
Programmes/Departments
The Zambian Roads and Highway Safety Group achieves its vision and mission through two programmes focus areas, namely Road Safety Awareness and Road Health Awareness.
Road Safety Awareness (RSA)
Under RSA programme, the Group will embark on activities aimed at increasing the knowledge of road safety and road regulations so all road users observe these regulations and stay safe on our roads.
The RSA programme will be aiming at reducing the number of road traffic accidents and deaths on the Zambian roads and Highways caused by ignorance and bad road usage.
Under the RHA programme, the Group will embark on programme activities aimed at improving the physical and mental health of road users. This will be done by encouraging health seeking behaviour change of public service drivers and motorists, many of whom are at risk to HIV, TB, malaria and other infections due to the nature of their jobs and the number of days they spend on the road and in strange environments.
The RHA programme will seek to change positively the health seeking behaviour of truck drivers and bus drivers as advised by medical experts and ensure they seek medical attention at their earliest convenience when feeling unwell and or protect themselves from many infectious diseases and infections.
Activities
Capacity Building – To create awareness on Road safety and Road Health
- Train public service drivers (mini bus and truck drivers) and other road users (pedestrians, passengers, motorists) on current road safety and road health issues
- Educate public service drivers (mini bus and truck drivers) and other road users (pedestrians, passengers, motorists) on protecting the most vulnerable to road traffic accidents, that is cyclists, pedestrians (especially school-going children and women)
- Produce or procure IEC materials on road safety and proper usage of roads and highways for distribution among road users (pedestrians, passengers, motorists)
- Produce social and behaviour change communication (S&BCC) and mass media programmes on Road Heath and positive health seeking behaviours for the public service vehicles (PSV) and drivers
- Produce or procure road markings or road signs for erection on the roads as information or warning to the roads users
- Build capacity / Train road safety ambassadors to cascade road safety awareness in schools, homes, communities and nation.
- Develop project proposals on helping halt the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, TB. Malaria among others among PSV and public service drivers (truckers, minibuses) and to encourage health seeking behaviour on the road.
Applied Research and Lobbying – To lobby (Government, Stakeholders) for improved roads and road safety; facilities in line with health seeking behaviours on the roads
- Hold networking and engagement meetings with target groups and stakeholders
- Hold press conference, road shows and media engagements (sponsor radio programmes, interviews on roads safety)
- Run an online social media group/Facebook page (the Zambia Roads and Highway Safety Group) on road safety
Fund Raising
The Road Safety Group designs and prepares fund raising concepts notes for the institutional development of the Group and running of its road safety programmes:
- Produce project concept notes and proposals for sharing with stakeholders and partners
- Develop project proposals on helping halt the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, TB. Malaria among others among PSV and public service drivers (truckers, minibuses) and to encourage health seeking behaviour on the road.
- Hold Networking and Fund raising meetings with partners and stakeholders
- Set up a secretariat with skeleton staff for running of the road safety awareness projects
Indicators of Success
The following shall be indicators of success:
- Reduced number of road traffic accidents (RTAs) on Zambian roads and Highways
- Reduced fatalities on Zambian Roads and Highways due to RTAs
- Increased understanding of basic road safety rules by road users (pedestrians, passengers, motorists)
- Improved designs of Zambian Roads and Highways taking into consideration the safety of all road users (pedestrians, passengers, motorists)
- Improved health seeking behaviour on roads and highways by public service vehicles and commuter buses.
- Reduced incidences of HIV, TB, Malaria and other diseases among PSV and drivers
- Improved roads safety and transportation policies for Zambian Roads and Highways
- Increased dialogue among road users, road safety ambassadors on one hand and road safety agents and policy makers on another
- Strengthened roles of government agencies in charge of road designs and road safety (RDA, RTSA, ZP, NRFA)
- Improved employment of safety measures by road construction companies during road closures and road constructions
- Executive Director
The ZRHSG is run by an Executive Director who reports to a 6-member board known as the Group Administrations (Admins). The Group Admins are chosen from among members who apply to be part of the board.
The Executive director will be supported by two Project Coordinators in charge of Road Safety Awareness and another in charge of Road Health Awareness.
2. Secretariat
Gender Mainstreaming & Youth
