RTSA SUSPENDS OPERATING LICENSE FOR JULDAN MOTORS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
…..warns that failure to comply with this directive will result in legal action
The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has suspended the operating license for Juldan Motors with immediate effect.
The Agency says this is as a result of the operator’s failure to implement effective self-regulation as required by the Fleet Safety Management Programme.
RTSA Chief Executive Officer Eng Amon Mweemba has told journalists in Lusaka that this decision has been made in accordance with Section 110B of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act No. 8 of 2022, which mandates the suspension of a licence if the holder fails to comply with its terms and conditions.
Eng Mwemba said Juldan Motorways, therefore is hereby instructed to cease all operations under the revoked licence with immediate effect for a period of 3 months.
He warned that failure to comply with this directive will result in legal action.
The RTSA CEO further said in light of the foregoing, the Agency has also invited the operator to their offices for guidance on adopting and implementing a comprehensive fleet safety management system.
“The following are the Key findings from our investigation…..Fatal Road Traffic Crash on 15th October 2024: Preliminary investigations suggest that the road traffic crash involving the Juldan Bus might have been prevented with appropriate care and oversight. The GPS unit on the motor vehicle had been inactive since 27th September 2024. Despite this, the bus continued to operate, and the GPS remained off until the road traffic crash occurred at approximately 04:30 hours on 15th October 2024,” he said.
“Records from Shimabala Toll Station show that the bus returned from Johannesburg on 14th October 2024, passing through the toll station at 16:29 hours. However, the same driver embarked on another trip to Johannesburg on 15th October 2024, passing through the same toll station at 04:06 hours. This violates Statutory Instrument No. 51 of 2021, which restricts PSV movements between 22:00 hours and 04:00 hours.”
He narrated that the Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist reflects significant lapses in the company’s Fleet Safety Management Programme, as it was signed off to indicate that the bus departed Lusaka at 04:00 hours with an active GPS unit when, in reality, it started approximately at 03:30 hours and the GPS was non-functional.
“Additionally, the driver had only arrived home on the evening of October 14 and departed in the early hours of October 15, leaving him with insufficient rest and substantially increasing fatigue-related risks. Ideally, the driver should have been given a full day off following such a long journey for adequate physical and mental recovery,” he added.
“Furthermore, it also came to our attention that, at the time of inspection, other buses under the company, were operated with non-functional GPS units, which is in direct contravention of Statutory Instrument No. 78 of 2016.These findings present grim evidence of weak operational controls within the company system that compromise the safety of both passengers and other road users.”
Eng Mweemba further indicated that the Agency also took into consideration the serious Injury Road Traffic Crash on 19th July 2024, involving another Public Service Vehicle (PSV) with registration number ALF6761 belonging to Juldan Motors, along the Great North Road, about 40 kilometres east of Kapiri Mposhi District.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the road traffic crash occurred due to improper overtaking by the Juldan bus driver, leading to a head-on collision with an oncoming light truck. One passenger in the bus sustained minor injuries, while the driver of the Mitsubishi Canter and his two passengers sustained serious injuries, and significant damages occurred to both vehicles,” he concluded.
“Notably, GPS data from the Juldan Bus consistently showed that the Juldan bus driver drove at speeds between 114 km/h and 115 km/h, exceeding the permissible maximum speed limit of 100 km/h. This highlights the operator’s failure to implement effective self-regulation as required by the Fleet Safety Management Programme.”
SE