By Eric Chiputula:
In a move that is aimed at improving the quality of roads being constructed in the country, the Ministry of Transport and Public Works has set aside MK300 million for the procurement of state of the art equipment to be used by the Roads Test Centre Lab to meet international standards.
The procurement of the equipment comes at a time when there has been growing concerns over the poor standard of roads being constructed in the country.
In an interview, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works Maganizo Liwewe said for a long time the test centre lab has been failing to carry out its operations due to lack of equipment.
“The test centre has been there but what was lacking was capacity and what we are doing now is the process of capacitating it so that it becomes fully operational,” said Liwewe.
He further revealed that after capacitating the test centre, the Ministry will have to engage a consultant to develop a turnaround strategy for the Lab.
Road Safety Alert Foundation Executive Director Joel Jere has expressed excitement with the impending procurement of the equipment but has since cautioned those working in the lab to maintain highest standards of professionalism.
“We don’t want to continue losing money. Today we construct a road and tomorrow we see potholes all over, it becomes a death trap. The people working in the lab should do exactly what the machine is indicating because sometimes people manipulate the machines,” said Jere.
Recently, President Lazarus Chakwera commissioned the rehabilitation works of the M1 Road which has been in a dilapidated state for a long time.
