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BT Kabaza Association prays for safe festive season

BT Kabaza Association prays for safe festive season

By Pempho Nkhoma

Blantyre, December 18, Mana: Blantyre Kabaza Association is set to provide safety tips through a series of road safety awareness campaigns in the district in a bid to prevent road accidents involving kabaza motorcycle operators during festive season.

Vice Chairperson for Blantyre Kabaza Association, Mussa Magombo, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday that the association will visit kabaza ranks around the district to ensure roads safety tips reaches every operator.

“We need to remind each other that a lot of things happen in December. Kabaza operators should follow traffic rules and regulations to avoid accidents. Riding motorcycle while drunk and riding without helmets is another area of concern. For us to be safe we need to abide by the rules,” he said.

Magombo said the association will also sensitize their members to observe operating times, citing latest incidents of thugs attacking operators in late hours.

“Operating in odd hours is risky as many have lost lives after being attacked by thugs. We need to be knocking off at least by 6:30pm and avoid riding through shortcuts,” he said.

Public Relations Officer for Southwest Region Police, Beatrice Mikuwa, commended the association for the campaign saying the idea complements police’s efforts in ensuring safety of motorists during the festive season.

She said traffic police officers will be on the road throughout the festive season to enforce road safety rules day and night.

“We have put in place necessary measures to avoid road accidents not only for motorcyclists but for everyone traveling on the roads,” she said.

Mikuwa, therefore, urged road users to take responsibility by adhering to road traffic rules.

“Those that are driving and riding should be sober because driving or riding while drunk is an offense and it causes accidents. This is why we want to make sure that riders are adhering to road safety rules,” she said.

From January to June this year, the country recorded 2,024 road accidents with 485 involving kabaza motorcycle operators.

During the 2023/2024 festive season, 31 accidents were recorded with nine deaths, compared to 56 accidents and 20 deaths during the 2022/2023 festive season.

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