NGO calls for rumble surfaces at Mponela trading centre

The Roads Authority (RA) and Dowa District Council have been urged to construct rumble surfaces at Mponela trading centre on the Kasungu to Lilongwe M1 road.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the district has said the trading centre – which is an economic hub – is prone to accidents due to speeding of vehicles hence a great need for rumble surfaces and zebra crossings.

Executive Director of Nhaka Afrikan World View (NAWO) Marko Zebiah observed that rumble surfaces were constructed at the Dzaleka Refugees camp in the district on the Lumbadzi-Dowa-Chezi road after authorities noticed that several lives of people were lost due to the speeding of vehicles using the road.

Zebiah asked government if it can extend the same gesture at Mponela trading centre by erecting rumble surfaces between Mponela police station and Mbolembole motel with some zebra crossings in between for the people to find it easy to cross the busy M1 road.

He recalled that in the past police officers were deployed to man the road and they managed to reduce accidents but now they have stopped hence a great need of rumble surfaces and zebra crossings.

Zebiah added that the accidents at Mponela trading centre are avoidable but authorities are not taking the necessary measures.

Last year, a secondary school student traveling on a bicycle taxi died after being hit by a speeding truck at the trading centre.

Angry students reacted by protesting, prompting police officers from Mponela to fire teargas.

The fracas however continued and was only quelled by riot police from Lilongwe.

In November 2017, another accident involving a minibus and a motorcycle also led to a fracas when angry onlookers threatened to torch the minibus.

The accident left the motorcyclist with a serious leg injury.