Night travel ban lifted, but at what cost?
GOVERNMENT’S decision to lift the ban on night travel for public service vehicles (PSVs) marks a significant shift in Zambia’s public transport policy. While the measure has been framed as progressive and aligned with the country’s ambition of building a 24-hour economy, it raises serious questions about public safety, policy consistency and evidence-based governance.
The restriction on night driving was not imposed arbitrarily. It was a direct response to high rates of fatal accidents occurring at night, driver fatigue among PSV operators, poor visibility on inadequately lit highways and a rise in criminal activities targeting travellers during dark hours. These were not abstract concerns. They were matters of life and death that compelled authorities to act decisively in 2016.
It is, therefore, surprising that Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali has moved to revoke Statutory Instrument No. 76 of 2016 without clearly informing the nation what concrete measures have been taken to address the very risks that led to the ban in the first place.
In announcing the revocation through Statutory Instrument No. 27 of 2026, government cited advancements in technology and the need to enhance economic productivity. While these are valid aspirations, they cannot substitute for demonstrable improvements in road safety brought by the ban.
The question remains. Have the conditions that made night travel dangerous been sufficiently resolved, or are we simply opening the roads and hoping for the best?
Public policy, especially one that directly affects human life, must be guided by data and empirical evidence and not optimism or economic pressure. If accident rates have significantly dropped, if enforcement mechanisms have been strengthened, if road infrastructure has been upgraded and if security concerns have been effectively addressed, then government must present this evidence transparently to the public.
Without such justification, the lifting of the ban risks being perceived as policy inconsistency. It sends a troubling signal that decisions of national importance can be reversed without adequate explanation, undermining public confidence in governance and weakening accountability in public institutions.
Government must demonstrate that the risks which led to the ban have been meaningfully addressed before lifting it. Otherwise, we are simply exposing citizens to the same dangers that justified the restriction in the first place but this time under the banner of a 24-hour economy. Development should not come at the expense of human life or public safety.
It is also not enough for the minister to direct the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to step up patrols. Increased patrols, while necessary, are only one part of a broader safety framework. The underlying issues such as driver fatigue, weak enforcement culture, poor road lighting, inadequate rest stops for long-distance drivers and limited emergency response capacity require systemic, well-funded and sustained solutions.
Equally important is the need for clear benchmarks and monitoring mechanisms. Government should outline measurable indicators of safety improvement and regularly report to the public on progress. Without such transparency, assurances of safety remain speculative and unconvincing.
If government is serious about balancing economic growth with public safety, a more measured approach would have been preferable. Authorities could have initially allowed extended hours for cargo transport and short-distance passenger routes where monitoring is easier, while maintaining restrictions on long-distance night travel until safety benchmarks are clearly met.
The concept of a 24-hour economy is commendable. However, it must not be built on 24-hour risk. A thriving economy depends not only on efficiency and mobility but also on the safety and wellbeing of its citizens.
Zambians deserve assurance that their lives are not being placed in harm’s way in the pursuit of economic reform and political accolades. Until government provides clear, data-backed evidence that night travel is safer today than it was when the ban was imposed, this decision will remain a cause for concern rather than celebration.
It will be embarrassing to backtrack when the number of deaths on the roads skyrockets again as a result of the lifting of the ban.
