Recent transport related developments :
Government is about to embark on ‘Pave Zambia 2000’, a programme with an initial budget of K150 billion, meant to develop township roads countrywide. It plans to pave about 2, 000 kilometres of township roads using labour-intensive paving blocks and cobblestone technology. The labour intensive technology would be piloted in 15 sites across the 10 provinces and that this would create more than 20, 000 short term jobs. The project is expected to be launched before the end of the year.
Transport Minister Christopher Yaluma announced recently that the completion of the most expensive road in Zambia, the K1.25 trillion Mongu-Kalabo road will be delayed again due to the "terrain in the Western province". The nation's most cost and inefficient road project is being constructed Chinese company, AVIC International. If the word "construction" is not an overstatement.
Ministry of Transport PS Francis Kamanga was fired last month. The President’s decision comes slightly over a week after he took over the running of the Road Development Agency (RDA), which falls under the Ministry of Transport. RDA is involved in delivering an ambitious programme Link 8000. Zambia plans to spend $5.6 billion on building roads over the next five years under a programme to modernise infrastructure. About 2,300 km (1,430 miles) of roads would be built at a cost of 7.9 trillion kwacha ($1.6 billion) under the first phase of the project.
RDA has awarded a K278.8 billion contract to Copperfields Mining Services Limited, a Zambian contractor, to tar the 70-kilometre Pedicle Road. RDA recently terminated the contract awarded to Fratelli Locci of Italy for the construction of Pedicle Road at a cost of over K300 billion.
Government has decided to engage a new contractor for the K420 billion Kasama-Mporokoso Road because the current contractor, Sable Contractors’ pace has been too slow. Sable Contractors was awarded the contract for the 163km stretch of gravel road a year ago but failed to meet the parameters set within the contract.
